The number of medical device recalls has increased 31.2 percent in the second quarter of 2020, according to Stericycle's Q2 recall index.
The total number of recalls in the second quarter was 341, surpassing 300 for the first time in two years. While the average recall size was lower than the first quarter, the number of recalls puts the medical device industry on track for 1,200 recalls by the end of the year, which would be an annual increase of 35 percent over 2019.
The number also doesn't include unofficial recalls of face masks and other personal protective equipment handled at the state level.
For the first time in 16 consecutive quarters, safety issues accounted for 48 recalls, or 14.1 percent, of all the recalls in the second quarter, overtaking software issues. But cyberattacks targeting health systems, hospitals and healthcare organizations are still on the rise, and connected medical devices are vulnerable, according to the report.
Sterilization issues affected the most units, accounting for 62.9 percent of recalled units.
Out of all of the recalls, 83.3 percent affected products that were distributed nationwide, and 48.4 percent affected products distributed internationally.
Find the full report here.
More articles on supply chain:
HHS blocks FDA from regulating lab-developed tests
Bayer to pay $1.6B to settle claims against birth control device
U.S. has yet to spend billions of dollars allocated for COVID-19 testing