Hospira Morphine Recall Issued Due to Overdose Risk

One lot of morphine has been recalled by Hospira, Inc. after reports suggest that some vials may be overfilled, which could lead to a life-threatening morphine overdose. 

The Hospira Morphine Sulfate injection recall was announced by the FDA and Hospira, Inc. on April 17, after at least one customer reported that two syringes were filled beyond the fill line.

While the company indicates that it believes the incident was isolated, the entire lot of morphine has been recalled.

A morphine overdose can cause respiratory depression, low blood pressure and death. However, there have been no injuries or illnesses linked to the morphine recall.

The recall affects lot 10830LL of Hospira Morphine Sulfate Injection USP, 4 mg/mL (C-II), 1 mL fill in 2.5 mL Carpuject, NDC 0409-1258-30. The morphine is sold in prefilled glass cartridges for use with the Carpuject Syringe system. Ten of the Carpujects are sold in each box.

The recalled lot was sold in January to distributors and hospitals in Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas and Virginia. It has an April 1, 2013 expiration date.

The recall comes a little over a year after Marc Hermelin, former CEO of KV Pharmaceutical Co. was sentenced to a month in jail and nearly $2 million in fines and forfeited earnings for failing to prevent his company from selling oversized Ethex morphine pills that exposed consumers to a risk of serious and potentially life-threatening injuries.

The Ethex morphine recall was first issued in June 2008, after it was discovered that manufacturing problems allowed oversized pills to potentially be distributed to customers. Subsequent recalls were issued for additional lots of morphine and at least 30 other generic drugs manufactured by Ethex which may have contained up to twice the necessary amount of the active pharmaceutical ingredient.

Any customers who have the syringes of morphine affected by this latest recall should quarantine them from their inventory and call Stericycle at (888) 912-7088 to arrange for the products’ return.