Johnson & Johnson Recalls Infant Tylenol

The pharmaceutical giant’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit issued yet another recall, this time due to malfunctioning bottles.

Johnson & Johnson issued a recall for OTC infant Tylenol last month due to problems with the bottle design. The new bottle, which was just introduced in November, is malfunctioning. The flow restrictor (at the top of the bottle) has been dislodging and falling into the bottle. There is nothing wrong with the medication itself, and consumers can continue to administer it.

In total, the voluntary recall affected 574,000 bottles of grape-flavored Tylenol, which were distributed across the country. Since September 2009, Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit has issued approximately 25 recalls. McNeil has also been plagued by factory shutdowns for more than a year, leading to revenue losses of over $1 billion.

The exact product being recalled is Infants’ Tylenol Oral Suspension (1-ounce bottles), lots BIL0U00, BIL0V00, BIL3500, BJL2D00, BJL2E00, BJL2T00, and BJL2U00. Consumers can apply for a refund at the product recall website.

Ms. Wick is a visiting professor at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy and a freelance writer from Virginia.