Has the Number of FDA Drug Recalls Increased?

If it seems like there have been many drug recalls in the news lately, it is probably because the number of recalls has increased over the past two years.

According to medcitynews.com, the number of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls has increased and is on track to break an all-time record in 2014.

“As FDA data show, the last two years have seen almost as many recalls (2,061) as the previous nine years combined (2,217) — and that’s only counting the first seven months of 2014,” Alexander Gaffney of the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society said, according to medcitynews.com.

The website reported that about 70 percent of the recalls have been of the Class II variety, meaning they could cause reversible health side effects. About 21 percent have been Class I, meaning that the products could cause serious ill effect in a user, or even death.

“It’s difficult to blame any one factor for the rise in recalls, but one trend may be to blame for a sizeable portion of it,” Gaffney said, according to the website. “Beginning in 2012, FDA initiated a crackdown on compounding pharmacies after a massive and deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis which killed more than 60 people.”

Can I File a Lawsuit If a Recalled Drug Has Injured Me?

The deadly fungal meningitis outbreak Gaffney discussed was the due to contaminated steroid spinal injections made by the New England Compounding Center. NECC ended up settling lawsuits for more than $100 million over injuries and deaths related to the outbreak.

Zoll, Kranz & Borgess investigates defective drug and devices as we are advocates for those injured.  To learn more about ZKB or to receive a free consultation contact us today toll-free at (888)841-9623.

Zoll & Kranz, LLC – Defective Medical Drug and Device Lawyers

Source: http://medcitynews.com/2014/08/number-fda-drug-recalls-shooting-still-ironing-exactly/