Fentanyl Patch Recalled

One lot of fentanyl patches manufactured by Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. has been recalled because of leaks. The lot is number 145287A, and the patches were shipped to customers between April 2 and May 20. Their expiration date is February 2011. Watson officials stated that some of the gel patches leak and may directly expose patients and healthcare workers to the gel.
The Fentanyl Transdermal System patches are supposed to release the narcotic painkiller at a rate of 100 mg per hour. The leaks could cause an overdose, respiratory depression, and death. The fentanyl pain patch is a generic version of the Duragesic patch used to treat severe, chronic pain. There have been six other fentanyl pain patch recalls due to manufacturing defects since the product was first introduced in 1994. Fentanyl lawsuits regarding manufacturing defects such as leaks and overdoses have been filed.