Ethex Mophine Tablet Recall Expanded
June 16th, 2008 • Filed Under: News, Recalls • 7 Comments
Ethex Corporation announced Friday that they are expanding their nationwide morphine tablet recall which was first issued on June 10. While they initially indicated that only one lot of their Morphine Sulfate Extended Release Tablets were exposed to manufacturing problems that could have caused double strength tablets to be commercially released, they have now added 64 more lots of the medication to the recall.
The 60 mg and 30 mg extended release morphine sulfate tablets were sold under the “ETHEX” label. They were distributed throughout the United States between June 2006 and May 2008. The 60mg morphine is a white oval tablet with a “60″ printed on one side and an “E” on the other. The 30mg morphine is a pink oval tablet with a “30″ on one side and an “E” on the reverse.
The morphine recall was first issued after it was discovered that oversized tablets may have been sold. The tablets could contain up to twice the appropriate amount of active morphine sulfate, which may lead to a morphine overdose, with potentially fatal consequences.
The following lots of Ethex Morphine Sulfate Extended Release Tablets are now included in the recall:
Morphine Sulfate ER 30mg Tablet - NDC # 58177-320-04: Lot numbers 75090, 77846, 77847, 80048, 83320, 89661, 89665, 90252 through 90258, and 93284.
Morphine Sulfate ER 60mg Tablet - NDC # 58177-330-04: Lot numbers 91762, 75091, 75092, 77848 through 77851, 82517, 82518, 83333, 83817, 83862, 84111, 84112, 84315, 84900, 85326, 85335, 85807, 86270 through 86276, 87723, 87939, 88007, 89083, 89668, 89669, 89821, 90260 through 90272, and 91763 through 91765.
Individuals who have received a prescription for Ethex Morphine Sulfate since June 2006 should check their medication to determine if it is part of this recall. If symptoms of a morphine overdose are experienced, such as respiratory depression (difficulty or lack of breathing), low blood pressure, apnea or hypotension, immediate medical attention should be sought.
Comment by Brian on 2 October 2008:
I was in the hospital several times from morphine overdose. I didnt realize at the time what was causing my monthly trips to the E.R. This company needs to be held accountable!
Comment by Joan on 13 October 2008:
i received a call from my pharmacist telling me NOT to take my morphine pills, as they were identified as one of the lots that were overdosed. But it was too late, I was already hospitalized for what they thought was a morphine reaction or accidental overdose. It was horrible, I was never so ill. I had hypoxia, which is low oxygen to the brain. I don’t even remember a few days of the hospitalization. I had to be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance because I guess I was totally incoherent. I was in the hospital several days and then was very sick at home for about 10 days afterwards.
Pingback by Ethex Dextroamphetamine Sulfate Recall: Oversized Tablets : AboutLawsuits.com on 16 October 2008:
[...] drug after it was discovered that some tablets could be oversized. This is the second major Ethex recall this year due to manufacturing defects that resulted in double strength tablets, as they previously [...]
Comment by donna and frank on 24 October 2008:
I was on vacation in pittsburg PA (from florida) ran out of my pain medication (for bone cancer). Had to go to a hospital to get a refill
because you can\’t get a refill over state lines . The hospital gave me a prescription for mophine. Three days later I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance for a mophine overdose. Then in June we get a letter from the drug store in Pittsburgh about the mophine overside tablets.
Comment by Diana on 29 October 2008:
My mom died unexpectedly at the age of 59. She recieved the affected lot numbers of morphine. The recall letter came 7 weeks after her death. We threw out the medicine before the recall letter came. I know in my heart that the morphine did it, but I can’t prove it.
Comment by Patricia on 12 November 2008:
My father just a little over 60 working, cutting grass and taking long motorcycle rides with friends the Month of Apri and first part of May…starting taking morphine prescribed to him for pain due to cancer that he went in for status tests on May 12th for…his test came back as “no change in size” etc..I have the results in writing from May 12th…he started having trouble breathing, he was having trouble talking, walking, swallowing…we didn’t know what was happening..he died at home on May 16th…It all became very clear after we received a letter asking us to return the morphine pills prescribed. A precious part of our lives was taken from us way too soon. Yes he had cancer but if it hadn’t been for the pills…..we would have had more time with him. It is very obvious the pills took his life …It’s murder no matter how you look at it.
Comment by Sheila on 18 November 2008:
I almost died from taking one pill of the morphine. Called an ambulance and the whole nine yards.