How are patients notified of a drug recall? It's easy to be in the know!
Have you ever brought your medicine home from the drug store and a few months later you heard that their might be a recall on it? These days the media is everywhere and unfortunately you might not see it posted on your Facebook feed. Well, in this article we are going to help you understand how to find specific drugs that has been placed on the recall list.
1. You May Be Notified
There are many ways that you can find out about drug recalls. Fortunately, you may not have to do much but answer your phone or simply check your mail. The FDA, manufacturer or dispensing pharmacy may notify patients by telephone, mail, fax or email if a medication has been recalled. So, be on the look out because they just might be trying to contact you.
2. The Manufacturer Has a Website. Use it!
Facebook and Twitter is not the only media that you should be checking for information. In many cases, if you look closely at who manufactures your drug then you will be able to do some digging for yourself. Did you know that the manufacturer usually posts recall information on their website.
3. The FDA Announces Drug Recalls
The Food and Drug Administration is one of the best places to start when trying to find out about a recall. If you get a chance to take a peek at their website, you will find a wealth of information regarding many different drug recalls. A good thing about the FDA is that they often publicly announce a recall via news and other media.
4. The FDA's Enforcement Report
When searching through the FDA's website, one document to look for is their Enforcement Report. This is a list of recalls that are monitored by the FDA, classified and unclassified, they are all on the list. These reports are updated often and when the recalls gains a classification this is updated on the Enforcement Report. The good news for consumers is that, the FDA publishes a weekly Enforcement Report of recalls on their website for our viewing and you can also subscribe to their newsletter to get this report in your email weekly.
5. Twitter is Your Friend
If you have a twitter account, then you are in luck. The FDA has a Twitter profile, @FDArecalls, where they announce recalls. If you do not have a twitter account then you may want to consider making yourself an account!
To recap, 5 ways consumers are notified about a drug recall include:
You can get notified by the FDA, manufacturer or dispensing pharmacy
Utilize the manufacturer's website for drug recalls
Look out for the FDA's drug recall announcements
Take a look at the FDA's Enforcement Report
Get a Twitter account, the FDA announces recalls @FDArecalls
See, it is easy to be in the know about drug recalls.
For more information, you can contact the manufacturer or FDA directly.
Manufacturer contact information is usually listed in the recall announcement or on the manufacturer’s website.
FDA Contact Information: You can contact the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) with any questions or concerns atdruginfo@fda.hhs.gov or through the following toll-free numbers: 1-855-543-3784 or 1-310-796-3400.
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