McNeil Consumer Healthcare has issued a voluntary recall of specific over-the-counter medications. This recall comes on the heels of a consultation between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and McNeil Consumer Healthcare. McNeil Consumer Healthcare is a Division of McNeil-PPC Inc, which is a Johnson & Johnson company. The recall affects consumers who purchased certain OTC medications in North America, Central American and the Caribbean. For more information on this specific recall you can view the product recall information here.

American consumers have become used to a higher level of responsibility and communication from the companies which we support. We assume products that are available for sale and personal use are safe and we also expect a company to be forthcoming if problems are reported. While consumers may grumble about all the recalls that appear in the news, we rely on large corporations to provide the information necessary to keep us safe when using their products. That is why this recall is a bit surprising to many individuals. Johnson & Johnson have historically reacted quickly whenever there was a need for a recall, in some cases overreacting by pulling products that may not have caused a problem. That attention to detail has helped Johnson & Johnson retain a loyal customer base as we feel safe using their products. Brand crisis management is taught to future executives and Johnson & Johnson used to be the role model for what you should do if a problem arises. Communicating relevant information to consumers is key and it appears this did not happen quickly enough in this specific recall. Federal officials are criticizing the actions taken in this recall, claiming a federal inspection report shows the company began receiving complaints 20 months prior to the issuance of the recall last week. The Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter to the company basically stating the company did not act quickly in investigating, identifying and notifying authorities about reported problems with the products in question.

Bonnie Jacobs, a spokeswoman for McNeil has commented, “McNeil Consumer Healthcare has applied broad criteria to identify and remove all product lots that it believes may have the potential to be affected, even if they have not been the subject of consumer complaints.”

Consumer complaints that have been reported include stomach pain, vomiting and nausea. The damage may be far reaching if consumers feel they can no longer trust one of the most respected brands on the market.

For more information on recalled products consumers can call 888-222-6036.