Recently, Hospira, the world’s leading provider of injectable drugs, headquartered in Lake Forest, IL, voluntarily recalled anti-seizure medication provided in injectable containers due to incorrect barcodes and a single confirmed report of a human hair in one contaminated unit, according to various news sources. The Pharmacy Times reports that a single lot of 0.9% sodium chloride injection was recalled, along with a mislabeled lot of magnesium sulfate in 5% dextrose which was recalled due to incorrect barcodes.
While no reports of adverse effects in consumers have been reported to date, the company has notified customers to review any inventory of these products at once and to discontinue distribution. Hospira also notified customers that any stock including the recalled lots (42-120-JT for the magnesium sulfate, and 45-110-C6 for the sodium chloride) should be returned to Hospira. Additionally, Hospira notified customers to identify anyone who may have received the recalled products, and to notify them of the issue.
The injectable anti-seizure medication, which was distributed beginning in October of last year and continuing into January of this year, was found to have an incorrect barcode on the primary bag labeling. The company noted that while the barcode on the text of the primary container and overwrap were correct, the mistake on the primary bag labeling could lead to delays in treatment resulting in stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, seizures, and other risks for pregnant women and the babies they carry.
The human hair found in a single unit of sodium chloride would unlikely pass through the intravenous catheter, however if it should occur, the result may be phlebitis, inflammation at the injection site, capillary obstruction, allergic reaction, and other issues.
While the anti-seizure medication was not contaminated and the drug’s primary container text and product overwrap barcodes were accurate, these types of mistakes can still impact patient care. At REA JET, we know the importance of not only product labeling solutions that are high-quality and reliable, but also track and trace procedures that minimize or eliminate risk and make recalls more efficient and less costly.
For all of your industrial coding and marking solution needs, rely on REA JET, a global leader in the industry for a wide range of industries including pharmaceuticals.