McNeil Issues Recall of Popular Over-the-counter Drugs
McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of Johnson & Johnson, recently recalled several hundred batches of popular over-the-counter medicines: Benadryl, Motrin, Rolaids, Simply Sleep, St. Joseph Aspirin, and Tylenol. The batches were recalled after McNeil received complaints about moldy-smelling bottles of Tylenol Arthritis Relief Caplets. As a result, some consumers have reported temporary digestive problems like nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain. The company has reported that the moldy smell is the result of breakdown of a chemical (2,4,6-tribromoanisole) used to treat wood pallets that transport and store product packaging.
The FDA issued an inspection report asserting McNeil failed to respond quickly to the problems consumers experienced. The report states that the recall came 20 months after the company first received consumer complaints about Tylenol. The FDA report also noted that McNeil did not conduct a thorough investigation, failed to quickly identify the source of the problem, and did not notify authorities in a timely fashion.