Dole Fresh Vegetables is voluntarily recalling over 750 cases of DOLE® Seven Lettuces salad with Use-by Date of April 11, 2012.

While no illness has yet been associated with eating the salads, a random sample collected by the State of New York found contamination with Salmonella.

The recalled packages have a UPC code of 71430 01057 and Product Codes 0577N089112A and 0577N089112B.

Consumers should check the codes and the use-by date and throw out any suspicious salads. Retailers are being told to check shelves for any remaining Dole Seven Lettuce salads and remove them.

If you have questions, you can call the Dole Food Company Consumer Response Center at (800) 356-3111, which is open 8:00 am to 3:00 pm (PDT) Monday – Friday.

People with cancer or who are on chemotherapy should be especially careful to avoid foods that may carry bacteria. They have less healthy immune systems and can become seriously ill from Salmonella infections.  Young children and the elderly are also at risk for severe, sometimes life-threatening infections.

More information about Salmonella from the Centers for Disease Control.

Symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps that develop 12 to 72 hours after eating something contaminated by the bacteria. Most healthy adults recover without treatment, but severe cases may require a trip to the hospital and antibiotics.

The recall of Jantoven®  warfarin 3 mg tablets issued on February 16th has been expanded to include more dosages and additional medicines.

Jantoven and other medications that were packaged on the same Upsher-Smith Laboratories packaging line between May and November of 2010 are all being recalled as a precaution after 10 mg Jantoven tablets were found in a bottle labeled 3 mg.

Since warfarin is used to prevent blood clots in many people with cancer, it is critical that you check your medicine to be sure that it isn’t part of the  Upsher-Smith recall.

A complete description of the recalled pills is available on the FDA website including the tablet color and dose.  All recalled Jantoven tablets are scored and imprinted with WFR and the number 832. Read the rest of this entry »

If you take warfarin to prevent blood clots, check your supply to be sure it is safe.

A mixup in dosages has prompted a recall of Jantoven® Warfarin.  A single bottle was found to contain 10 mg pills, rather than the 3 mg tablets on the label.

Upsher-Smith Laboratories is voluntarily recalling one lot  (lot #284081) of Jantoven® Warfarin Sodium, 3 mg, to protect patients from getting an overdose.

The pills are very different:  The 3 mg tablets are tan and labeled with a 3 below the line, while the 10 mg ones are white with a 10 below the line.  Both have the number 832 on the reverse side.

Anticoagulation therapy needs careful control.  An overdose from taking 10 milligrams of the medicine, rather than the expected 3, could lead to life-threatening bleeding.

If you think that your medication might be mislabeled, call your doctor right away.  Don’t stop taking warfarin without talking to the doctor, but don’t risk taking the wrong dose.

Consumers and pharmacists can call the Upsher-Smith medical information line at 1-888-650-3789 for more information and to access product details, Monday-Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (CST).

If you use Rolaids for occasional heartburn or gas, watch out for the Extra Strength Softchews.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare has voluntarily recalled all lots of ROLAIDS® Extra Strength Softchews, ROLAIDS® Extra Strength Plus Gas Softchews, and ROLAIDS® Multi-Symptom Plus Anti-Gas Softchews being sold in the United States and Canada.

Consumers have reported bits foreign material in the Extra Strength Softchews, including metal and woodchips.  While McNeil investigates the problem, they have suspended production of these products and issued a recall. Read the rest of this entry »

Eighteen lots of Fentanyl transdermal patches distributed in the United States have been recalled by Actavis, Inc.

The 25 mcg/hour patches may have a fold-over defect that allows active drug to be released faster than intended.  In one lot of the recalled patches, one patch was found leaking gel.  The remaining lots are being voluntarily recalled as a precaution.

Fentanyl is a strong opioid.  The patch releases a measured amount of the drug each hour which is absorbed by skin.  Damaged patches may release too much medicine, potentially causing slowed or stopped breathing that can lead to death.

Caregivers who handle damaged patches and get gel on their own skin are also at risk. Read the rest of this entry »