USFDA Voluntary Recall Alert : LifeCare Flexible Intravenous Solutions by Hospira, Inc.because of Potential for Leakage...

ISSUE: Hospira, Inc. announced the voluntary recall of certain lots of several products in its LifeCare line of flexible intravenous solutions due to the potential for leakage. The issue was identified during re-inspection of a manufactured product lot in which a single puncture mark was identified going through the overwrap and primary container. The puncture in the primary container may result in leakage that is difficult to detect. Leakage may result in an open system, which has the potential for contamination, compromised sterility, drug waste, spillage, inadequate or inconsistent solution/medication dosing, and/or delay in therapy, all of which may require medical intervention. Hazardous topical exposure may occur if a hazardous drug is added to the flexible container. To date there have been no reports of adverse events associated with this issue for the impacted lots.

BACKGROUND: The affected lots were originally distributed by Hospira to direct accounts from September 2013 through October 2014. The root cause is attributed to a defect in a conveyance system, and corrective actions have since been implemented to prevent a reoccurrence. The manufacturing issue that caused this incident has been addressed.

RECOMMENDATION: See the Firm Press Release for a list of the recalled lots. Anyone with an existing inventory of the recalled lots should stop use and distribution and quarantine the product immediately. Hospira will be notifying its direct customers via a recall letter and will arrange for impacted product to be returned to Stericycle. For additional assistance, call Stericycle at 1-844-861-6221 between the hours of 8am to 5pm ET, Monday through Friday.

USFDA Recall Alert - Vancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection USP, Equivalent to 1 Gram Vancomycin (Sterile Powder) by Hospira, Inc.: Recall - Uncontrolled Storage During Transit

AUDIENCE: Pharmacy, Nursing, Health Professional

ISSUE: Hospira, Inc. issued a voluntary nationwide user-level recall of one lot of Vancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection, USP, Equivalent to 1 g Vancomycin (Sterile Powder), NDC 0409-6533-01, Lot 35-315-DD with expiration date of 01 NOV 2015. The product may have experienced temperature excursions during shipment to a customer and then was further distributed by the customer.

This recall is being carried out to the medical facility/retail level (both human and veterinary).

BACKGROUND: There have been no adverse events or complaints reported for the affected lot.

RECOMMENDATION: Anyone with an existing inventory of the recalled lot should stop use and distribution and quarantine the product immediately. Please notify all users in your facility. If you have further distributed the recalled product please notify any accounts or additional locations which may have received the recalled product from you and instruct them if they have redistributed the product to notify their accounts, locations or facilities to the medical facility/retail level. In addition, customers should inform potential users of this product in their organizations of this notification. Hospira will be notifying its direct customers via a recall letter and will arrange for impacted product to be returned to Stericycle.

For additional assistance, call Stericycle at 1-844-861-6215 between the hours of 8am to 5pm ET, Monday through Friday.

Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

• Complete and submit the report Online: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm
• Download form or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

Hospira Issues a Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Multiple Parenteral Products due to Particulate Matter...

Hospira Issues a Voluntary Nationwide Recall of One Lot of Heparin Sodium, 1,000 USP Heparin Units/500 mL (2 USP Heparin Units/mL), In 0.9 percent Sodium Chloride Injection, 500 Ml, Due to Particulate Matter...

Hospira, Inc., announced that it is initiating a voluntary nationwide user-level recall of one lot of Heparin Sodium, 1,000 USP Heparin Units/500 mL (2 USP Heparin Units/mL), in 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, 500 mL, NDC 0409-7620-03 Lot 41-046-JT with expiration date of 01NOV 2015. This action is due to one confirmed customer report of particulate in a single unit. The foreign particle was confirmed by Hospira as human hair, sealed between the tube and the film at the round seal of the unused Administrative Port on the non-print side of the container.

In the unlikely event that the particulate breaks and pieces are able to pass through the intravenous catheter, injected particulate material may result in local inflammation, phlebitis, and/or low-level allergic response. Capillaries which may be as small as the size of a red blood cell, approximately seven microns in diameter, may become occluded. Patients with preexisting condition of trauma or other medical condition that adversely affects the microvascular blood supply are at an increased risk.

Heparin Sodium Injection in 0.9% Sodium Chloride at a concentration of 2 units/mL is indicated as an anticoagulant to maintain catheter patency. To date, Hospira has not received reports of any adverse events associated with this issue for this lot. The root cause has not been determined and is under investigation.

The affected lot was distributed nationwide between June 2014 and August 2014 to wholesalers/distributors, hospitals and pharmacies.

Anyone with an existing inventory should stop use and distribution and quarantine the product immediately. In addition, customers should inform potential users of this product in their organizations of this notification. Hospira will be notifying its direct distributors/customers via a recall letter and will arrange for impacted product to be returned to Stericycle. 

For detailed information on recall alert CLICK HERE