The Duragesic® Patch Recalls: Experienced Lawyers in San Diego
In 1990, the FDA approved a transdermal medication delivery system called the Duragesic® patch, which delivers a very strong narcotic, fentanyl, through the skin as pain medication. The fentanyl is in a gel inside the Duragesic® patch, which is applied directly to a person’s skin for 72 hours at a time. The Duragesic® patch was originally prescribed just for cancer patients with chronic pain, but it has increasingly been used for many other people who simply have chronic pain or short-term severe pain such as that experienced with a broken bone. If your doctor has prescribed the Duragesic® patch for you, the lawyers in our San Diego offices can meet with you in a consultation to discuss your particular circumstances.
The Duragesic® Patch: Fentanyl
Fentanyl is about 80 times stronger than morphine. Like morphine, fentanyl can be used to control pain, but also like morphine, it’s a very powerful and easily misused drug. The reason that there has been a Duragesic® patch recall is that the fentanyl contained in the patch is so strong, it can cause respiratory depression — that is, it could cause the person wearing the patch to stop breathing. It can do this when the patch is being misused, whether purposely or by accident, but it can also do this when the patch is being used properly. The Duragesic® patch recall lawyers at our San Diego-based law firm have extensive information regarding this product’s risks.
Sales of the Duragesic® patch more than tripled from 2000 to 2004. In 2004, 4.1 million prescriptions for the Duragesic® patch were filled. Duragesic sales are a billion-dollar industry in the United States alone. In February 2004, however, the makers of the Duragesic® patch issued a recall because some of the patches were leaking. A leak can cause the rapid release of fentanyl, which can be fatal. Later in 2004, a second Duragesic® patch recall resulted in more than 2 million patches being withdrawn from the market. Our lawyers can tell you more about these massive recalls.
The risks associated with the Duragesic® patch are known to our lawyers serving the San Diego area and the rest of the United States. If you are part of the Duragesic® patch recall, our lawyers can advise you regarding your legal rights and options.
