Hospira recalled three lots of Hydromorphone HCl injection Feb. 7 after discovering the glass vials containing the opioid could be cracked or empty, according to a March 5 recall alert from the FDA.
Here are four things to know.
1. Hydromorphone HCl is an opioid used to manage severe pain when alternative treatments prove inadequate.
2. Hospira distributed the affected products to wholesalers, distributors, retailers and hospitals nationwide between October 2016 and July 2017.
3. The cracked vials could render the drug product unsterile, putting patients at risk for infection. Healthcare professionals could also cut their hands when handling the cracked glass vials.
4. Hospira has not received any reports of adverse events related to the affected products.