It’s more common for manufacturers to issue a medication recall than most patients think. What should you do when your medication is recalled and you still have doses at home? You don’t want to ignore the notice, but you also don’t want to stop a prescription without knowing what the recall actually covers. Here are the steps to take so you can respond appropriately.
Look Up the Reason for the Recall
To start, look up the reason the medication was recalled. Not all recalls carry the same level of risk. A manufacturer may recall a medication because the label lists the wrong dosage instructions. Another recall may happen because testing found contamination. Knowing the reason tells you what went wrong with the product you received.
Confirm Your Bottle Is Affected
Seeing the name of your medication in a recall notice doesn’t automatically mean the bottle in your cabinet is included. Many recalls cover medication made during a particular production run rather than every package sold under that name.
Find the lot number printed on your bottle or box and compare it with the number in the notice. If the recall includes an expiration date, compare that too. A matching lot number confirms that your supply came from the affected batch. If you can’t find the number, your pharmacist can check it for you.
Read The Instructions for Patients
Recall notices commonly include a section explaining what patients with the affected medication should do. Read those directions before changing your dose or throwing anything away.
The instructions may tell you to contact your pharmacy before your next refill. In a more urgent recall, they may tell you not to take another dose until you speak with a healthcare professional. Follow the directions attached to that recall.
Keep Taking Prescription Medication Unless Told to Stop
Don’t stop a prescription just because your bottle appears on a recall list. Some medications cause withdrawal symptoms when stopped suddenly, while others control conditions that can worsen when treatment is interrupted.
Continue taking the medication according to your prescription unless the recall notice or your healthcare provider tells you to stop. If the notice says not to take another dose, contact your prescriber promptly so they can tell you what to use instead. You need a replacement plan before removing a necessary medication from your routine.
Call The Pharmacy That Filled the Prescription
Your pharmacy can check the exact medication it dispensed against the recall. Keep the bottle near you when you call so you can read the lot number from the label if the pharmacist asks for it.
If your supply is included, ask what the pharmacy wants you to do with it. Some pharmacies will replace affected stock when you bring the bottle back. Others need a new prescription before they can dispense another supply. Calling the pharmacy first saves you from making an unnecessary trip or showing up without the information they need.
Ask Your Prescriber About a Replacement
If the recalled medication needs to be replaced, your prescriber may need to send a new prescription. That’s especially important when your pharmacy doesn’t have unaffected stock from the same drug.
Tell the prescriber which medication was recalled and whether your pharmacy still has replacement stock available. Don’t substitute an older prescription you already have at home. Even if it treats the same condition, the dose may not match what you currently need. Your prescriber can decide what should take the place of the recalled medication and how you should take it.
Watch For Symptoms Listed in the Recall
If you’ve already taken medication from the affected lot, check whether the recall notice names symptoms connected to the problem. Those symptoms give you something specific to watch for after exposure to the recalled product.
If you develop one of them, contact a healthcare professional and tell them when you last took the medication. Give them the name of the drug and explain that your bottle came from a recalled lot. If the notice tells patients to seek emergency care for a certain symptom, follow that instruction rather than waiting for the symptom to improve on its own.
Keep The Medication in Its Original Container
Leave the recalled medication in the bottle or package it came in until you know what the pharmacy wants you to do with it. The label contains the lot number used to identify the affected supply.
Moving the medication into another container separates it from that identifying information. It also creates confusion if you have another refill of the same prescription nearby. Keep the recalled supply separate and leave the label intact. If the pharmacy asks you to return it, you’ll have the package information they need to confirm which product you brought back.
Follow The Return Instructions
If the pharmacy asks you to return the recalled medication, follow the instructions they give you. Some locations accept affected prescriptions at the pharmacy counter and handle the return from there.
Bring the medication in its original container unless staff tell you otherwise. Don’t combine it with another refill before returning it. The pharmacy needs to know which pills came from the recalled lot. If a return isn’t required, ask how the medication should be discarded instead of putting it in the household trash without checking first.
Use The Disposal Method You’re Given
If you’re told to dispose of the medication rather than return it, use the method listed in the recall notice or provided by your pharmacist. Disposal rules vary by drug, so don’t use the same method for every prescription.
Some medications should go to a drug take-back location. A limited group belongs on the FDA flush list because keeping them in the home creates a greater risk than flushing them. Check the directions for your medication before getting rid of it. That keeps you from using the wrong disposal method for the prescription you have.
Check The Replacement Label
When you receive a replacement, read the label before taking the first dose. Confirm that the drug name and dosage match the prescription your healthcare provider intended.
If you received the same medication from another batch, compare the new lot number with the recalled one. If your prescriber switched you to another drug, follow the directions printed on the new prescription rather than carrying over the schedule from your old one. A different medication may come with different dosing instructions, even when it treats the same condition.
Get The Answers You Need Before Changing Treatment
Learning that your medication is recalled is unsettling, especially when it’s something you take every day. But you don’t need to make a snap decision based on the word “recall.”
Use the notice to identify the affected product, then get guidance from the pharmacist or prescriber involved in your care. They can tell you what applies to the medication in your hand, so you know exactly what to do next.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN neither agrees nor disagrees with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement.
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References/Sources/Materials provided by:
- https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-recalls/understanding-drug-recalls-what-know-and-what-do
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/drug-recalls-are-common-202303292907
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/medication-recalled-what-you-should-do-next-may-surprise-you
