Medical device and drug recalls, whether voluntary or forced by the FDA, ensure patient safety.
Here are 40 drugs, devices that have been recalled in 2019, beginning with the most recent:
June 27: Medtronic recalls certain MiniMed insulin pumps due to cybersecurity concerns. The FDA warns the insulin pumps can be wirelessly hacked.
June 26: Macleods Pharmaceuticals recalls 32 lots of losartan potassium tablets and losartan potassium/hydrochlorothiazide tablets.
June 24: Teleflex recalls several lots of its Hudson RCI Sheridan Endotracheal Tubes after receiving four reports of death and additional reports of serious injury.
June 20: Infusion Options recalls all lots of unexpired, sterile products that have been distributed to hospitals.
June 19: Premier Pharmacy Labs recalls all its unexpired, sterile drugs after an FDA inspection raised questions about their sterility.
June 16: Lupin Pharmaceuticals recalls 18,408 bottles of an antibiotic from the U.S. market. The recall of cefdinir for oral suspension was due to a report of a metal piece found in the product bottle.
June 11: Teva Pharmaceuticals recalls an additional six lots of bulk losartan potassium tablets, expanding a nationwide recall initiated in April.
June 3: Hamilton Medical recalls all Hamilton G5 ventilators due to a software issue. The device maker plans to update the ventilators with a newly developed software version reducing the probability of the ventilator entering an ambient state.
May 28: Heritage Pharmaceuticals recalls two injectable drugs after microbial growth was detected in an unreleased lot of both products. The affected products are Amikacin Sulfate Injection Lot VC025 and Prochlorperazine Edisylate Injection Lot VPCA172.
May 23: Three hematology analyzers manufactured by Beckman Coulter are recalled after several reports of inaccuracies related to blood platelet counts. The recall affects three blood test analyzers, the Beckman Coulter DxH 800, DxH 600 and DxH 900.
May 23: Pharm D Solutions, recalls all sterile compounded drug products within expiry that were dispensed Oct. 24, 2018 to May 21, 2019 due to contamination concerns.
May 11: Novartis recalls three lots of Promacta oral suspension. The company said the recall is because of a risk of potential peanut flour contamination that occurred at a third-party contract manufacturing site.
May 3: ScieGen Pharmaceuticals recalls irbesartan tablets in three dosage forms due to the presence of a potentially carcinogenic impurity.
May 3: Vivimed Life Sciences recalls 19 lots of losartan potassium tablets after detecting a potentially carcinogenic impurity.
May 2: Endo Pharmaceuticals recalls two lots of Robaxin because the 100-count bottle had incorrect dosing information.
May 1: Par Pharmaceutical Inc. recalls one lot of mycophenolate mofetil for injection after it was discovered that the lot contained a glass fragment.
April 30: Sagent Pharmaceuticals recalls one lot of Ketorolac tromethamine injection due to the presence of microbial growth.
April 29: AmEx Pharmacy recalls one lot of Bevacizumab injectable, used to treat macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, due to a defective delivery system that has resulted in two adverse events.
April 26: Teva Pharmaceuticals issued a nationwide recall of 35 lots of bulk losartan potassium tablets over the detection of NMBA. It was sold under the brand name GSMS Inc.
April 24: Legacy Pharmaceutical Packaging recalls one more lot of repackaged losartan tablets manufactured by Torrent. It is a result of Torrent's April 18 expanded recall over the detection of NMBA.
April 23: Alvogen, a pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey, recalls two lots of its transdermal fentanyl patches due to faulty product labeling.
April 22: Torrent Pharmaceuticals recalls an additional 104 lots of losartan blood pressure tablets.
March 19: Legacy Pharmaceutical Packaging recalls an additional 40 repackaged lots of losartan due to Camber Pharmaceuticals' Feb. 28 recall of losartan with trace amounts of NMBA.
March 18: Mylan recalls an injectable medication after potentially dangerous particulate matter was discovered in the vials. The two affected lots of levoleucovorin injection, a chemotherapy drug, were recalled because copper salts were found in the samples during a 12-month stability testing.
March 15: Pfizer's Hospira plant recalls three lots of a sodium bicarbonate injection after glass particles were discovered in some vials.
March 15: Legacy Pharmaceuticals recalls 43 lots of losartan March 15, becoming the latest drugmaker to recall the blood pressure medication due to the detection of a potentially carcinogenic impurity.
March 7: American Health Packaging recalls one lot of valsartan tablets due to the detection of a potential carcinogen known as NDEA.
March 1:Torrent Pharmaceuticals recalls 60 lots of losartan potassium tablets and 54 lots of losartan potassium/ hydrochlorothiazide tablets for the detection of a new impurity, NMBA.
March 1: Aurobindo Pharma issues a recall expansion of 38 lots of valsartan amlodipine and valsartan tablets for the detection of NDEA.
March 1: Apotex recalls four lots of its drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol birth control tablets, due to the possibility of missing or incorrect tablet arrangement
Feb. 28: Camber Pharmaceuticals recalls losartan tablets over the detection of a potentially carcinogenic impurity. The drugmaker recalls 87 lots of losartan tablets at the consumer level.
Feb. 26: Macleods Pharmaceuticals recalls one lot of the blood pressure medication osartan after discovering trace amounts of a cancer-causing impurity in the product.
Feb. 4: Dr. Reddy's Laboratories recalls lot ABD807 of levetiracetam in 0.54 percent sodium chloride injection single-dose infusion bags to the hospital level. The recall is due to mislabeling.
Feb. 1: Styker alerts customers of its Lifepak 15 to an issue that may cause the device to lock up after a defibrillation shock is delivered. The company contracts customers to schedule a correction of their devices.
Jan. 29: Tris Pharma expands a nationwide recall of its infant ibuprofen over concentration issues.
Jan. 22: Torrent Pharmaceuticals recalls six lots of losartan potassium hydrochlorothiazide tablets due to the detection of a potential human carcinogen.
Jan. 18: Prinston Pharmaceuticals, doing business as Solco Healthcare, initiates a voluntary recall of one lot of irbesartan and seven lots of irbesartan HCTZ tablets due to the detection of NDEA.
Jan. 8: Sun Pharma recalls 13,918 cartons of its vecuronium bromide injection, a muscle relaxer used as part of general anesthesia, in the U.S.
Jan. 5: Lupin Pharmaceuticals recalls ceftriaxone for injection due to the presence of gray particulate matter.
Jan. 3: Torrent Pharmaceuticals recalls eight lots of losartan potassium tablets due to trace amounts of NDEA.