Blood Pressure Medicine Sold in Maine Being Recalled

Maine, check your cabinets; this medicine, meant to regulate blood pressure, is potentially deadly.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is echoing a company's voluntary recall to help inform the public. When a company recalls a product, withdraws it from the market, or issues a safety alert, the FDA shares the company's announcement as a public service. This helps ensure that consumers have access to important safety information.

But first, what does it mean when a product is 'recalled?'

According to the Food and Drug Administration,

Recall is a voluntary action that takes place because manufacturers and distributors carry out their responsibility to protect the public health and well-being from products that present a risk of injury or gross deception or are otherwise defective.

Essentially, the goal of a voluntary recall, which is what we’re dealing with here, is to remove as many products from the marketplace as possible to minimize danger to the consumer and to minimize the company's exposure to any future lawsuits.

So, what kind of blood pressure medicine sold in Maine is being recalled?

Par Pharmaceutical, Inc., a subsidiary of Endo International plc, has issued a voluntary recall for one lot of Treprostinil Injection 20mg/20mL (1mg/mL) due to the potential presence of silicone particulates. These particulates can cause local irritation or swelling upon injection and, if they enter the bloodstream, they could ‘travel to various organs and block blood vessels in the heart, lungs, or brain,’ leading to serious, and potentially deadly complications.

The affected lot, 57014 with an expiration date of 04/2024, was sold in Maine and distributed nationwide to wholesalers and hospitals between June 16, 2022, and October 17, 2022.

Par Pharmaceutical is notifying wholesalers and hospitals to discontinue use and return the product.

Consumers should contact their healthcare provider if they have experienced any issues related to the use of this product. More information on the recall is available, here.