Trace amounts of a chemical that treats wooden pallets used to transport and store the drug’s packaging shoulders the blame, according to one source.
Packaging took a punch to the gut during the holiday season when television news reports noted that some consumers had reported a “musty” smell and gastrointestinal problems from McNeil Consumer Healthcare’s Tylenol Arthritis Pain caplets.
In-Pharma Technologist.com reports that McNeil has recalled all lots of 100-count bottles, attributing the odor to “trace amounts of 2,4,6-tribromoanisole, a chemical used to treat the wooden pallets that transport and store the drug’s packaging.”
On its Tylenol Web site, McNeil points out that it is implementing the recall as a precaution. The site provides refund/replacement, and further information.
Last September, the company announced a voluntary recall of certain children and infant Tylenol products due to possible contamination of one of the ingredients used to make the drug.
McNeil’s precautionary recalls are understandable, and it’s the media’s job to point out health-related issues such as these. What’s not reported is that effective packaging by McNeil and many other companies protects and delivers safe, efficacious pharmaceutical products that benefit millions of consumers.
-By Jim Butschli, Features Editor
