Nationwide veterinary medication recall includes nearly 4,000 listings

A nationwide recall of compounded veterinary medications ranging from powders and pastes to topical sprays and gels, and including thousands of variants on the products, has been issued over concerns about their potency. 

Big picture view:

Wedgewood Pharmacy announced the move Wednesday, noting that the items affected were sent to veterinarians, pharmacies, and customers across the country between Feb. 18 and Oct. 6 of this year. In addition to the types of products listed above, oral suspensions, injectables, ophthalmic ointments and solutions, and ear solutions and suspensions were also subject to the recall.

In all, its list of variations of recalled products, including ones with varying dosage amounts, expiration dates, and lot numbers, totals nearly 4,000 listings. The company has set up a website where customers can search by product name, SKU, or lot number.

Why you should care:

In its recall statement, the company explained that reliability concerns in its testing information raised concerns that some of the products may either be too potent or not potent enough. The issue created the dual threats of either being ineffective for treatment or posing the risk of an overdose. 

As of Wednesday, Wedgewood indicated that it received nearly 100 complaints, seven of which are considered serious. It advised customers to contact their veterinarians if they have any medical concerns. 

RELATED: FDA recalls GLP-1 drug, other injectable medication over sterility concerns

What you can do:

Animal owners who have received the recalled medication are advised to stop using the product and hold on to it. They can contact Wedgewood’s recall department by phone at 866-562-5931 between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET on Monday through Friday and between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The company also stated that it has retained a third-party service as part of the recall effort and it will be contacting customers by mail and email to arrange for refunds or replacements. 

Veterinary practices, pharmacies, and others are encouraged to check their stock, set aside any recalled products, and then contact Wedgewood’s recall department. They are also asked to contact any of their customers who received the recalled products. 

The Source: Information for this article was taken from the Food and Drug Administration and Wedgewood Pharmacy LLC. This story was reported from Orlando.