Elevated risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Major Pharmaceuticals Dronabinol Capsules 2.5mg and Ziprasidone Hydrochloride recall: Packaging may contain incorrect product due to labeling mix-up

Recall published 3+ years ago

Packaging may contain incorrect product due to labeling mix-up

Major Pharmaceuticals Prescription & OTC drugs — recalled prescription & otc drugsMajor Pharmaceuticals Prescription & OTC drugs — recalled prescription & otc drugs (photo 2)Major Pharmaceuticals Prescription & OTC drugs — recalled prescription & otc drugs (photo 3)
3 photos published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the recall notice.

The hazard: Mislabelling or misbranding

Misbranding prompted this recall. The agency treats a label that misstates the contents as seriously as it treats contamination, because people act on labels.

What the notice says: Risk Statement: There is a reasonable probability that patients who mistakenly take Dronabinol Capsules, USP, 2.5 mg instead of Ziprasidone Hydrochloride, 20 mg capsules, can experience serious adverse events from 1) missing their ziprasidone dose and 2) taking an unexpected dose of Dronabinol.

Why it matters: The product carries the wrong label, the wrong lid or the wrong packaging. The food inside is generally fine; the problem is that the package describes something else, which defeats anyone relying on it.

Symptoms and when to call a doctor

There is no illness associated with mislabelling itself. The exception is where the undeclared contents include an allergen, in which case treat it as an allergen recall and watch for the reaction that person normally has.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you feel unwell, a clinician who can see you is the only person able to judge your case.

Recall details

Published
June 13, 2023
Risk level
Elevated risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Major Pharmaceuticals
Product type
Prescription & OTC drugs
Distribution
Nationwide

Products covered by this recall

Dronabinol Capsules 2.5mg and Ziprasidone Hydrochloride Capsules 20mg

What the company announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 13, 2023 – La Vergne, TN, The Harvard Drug Group, LLC d/b/a Major Pharmaceutical and Rugby Laboratories is initiating a voluntary recall of a single lot of Dronabinol Capsules, USP, 2.5 mg and Ziprasidone Hydrochloride Capsules, 20 mg to the consumer level. The Harvard Drug Group, LLC received a customer complaint from a distributor, that some unit dose cartons labeled as Ziprasidone Hydrochloride Capsules, 20 mg were found to contain blister packages labeled as and containing Dronabinol Capsules, USP, 2.5 mg for Lot T04769. Accordingly, The Harvard Drug Group, LLC is recalling all of Lot T04769, Dronabinol Capsules, USP, 2.5 mg, which may be in outer cartons that read Dronabinol Capsules, USP, 2.5 mg OR Ziprasidone Hydrochloride Capsules, 20 mg.

Risk Statement: There is a reasonable probability that patients who mistakenly take Dronabinol Capsules, USP, 2.5 mg instead of Ziprasidone Hydrochloride, 20 mg capsules, can experience serious adverse events from 1) missing their ziprasidone dose and 2) taking an unexpected dose of Dronabinol. Patients missing doses of Ziprasidone can experience exacerbation of underlying health issues such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, agitation, aggression, or delirium. This can result in mental illness instability with possible consequences of self-harm or harm to others which could result in medical or psychiatric hospitalization. Taking an unexpected dose of Dronabinol may cause mental and cognitive effects that result in impairment of mental and/or physical abilities. This can include worsening of symptoms in patients with mental illness disorders and limitation of patients’ abilities to safely complete hazardous activities (e.g., driving a motor vehicle, operating machinery). Elderly patients or those taking other medications that affect mental function may be particularly at risk for these reactions. The Harvard Drug Group, LLC has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall.

Ziprasidone Hydrochloride Capsules, 20 mg, is used for the treatment of schizophrenia, as monotherapy for the acute treatment of bipolar manic or mixed episodes, and as an adjunct to lithium or valproate for the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder.

Dronabinol Capsules, USP, 2.5 mg, is used as: (1) an anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and (2) Nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional antiemetic treatments.

Both Ziprasidone Hydrochloride Capsules, 20 mg and Dronabinol Capsules, USP, 2.5 mg are labeled with lot T04769 EXP. 2024/12 and can be identified on the outer carton labeling as follows:

  • Product Name: Dronabinol Capsules, USP, 2.5 mg · Package Description: 100 Unit Doses per Carton (10 x 10 blister packs) · Brand Name: Major · Lot Number: T04769 · NDC: 0904-7144-61 · Expiration Date: 2024/12
  • Product Name: Ziprasidone Hydrochloride Capsules, 20 mg · Package Description: 40 Unit Doses per Carton (10 x 4 blister packs) · Brand Name: Major · Lot Number: T04769 · NDC: 0904-6269-08 · Expiration Date: 2024/12

Ziprasidone Hydrochloride Capsules, 20 mg are capsules with a lavender opaque cap and flesh opaque body, imprinted “RDY’ on the cap and “356” on the body.

Dronabinol Capsules, USP, 2.5 mg are white capsules imprinted with “M2.”

Images of the outer carton labeling of both Ziprasidone Hydrochloride Capsules, 20 mg and Dronabinol Capsules, USP, 2.5 mg and in addition, images of the blister packages of Dronabinol Capsules, USP, 2.5 mg found in cartons labeled as Ziprasidone Hydrochloride Capsules, 20 mg, can be found below.

Products were distributed Nationwide to Wholesalers starting April 5, 2023.

The Harvard Drug Group, LLC is notifying all impacted direct accounts via mail of this voluntary recall and is arranging for return of all recalled products listed above. Wholesalers, Distributors and Retailers that have the affected product which is being recalled should stop distribution of the product and consumers should stop using this affected product, return it to the place of purchase, and contact their physician or healthcare provider.

Consumers with questions regarding this recall can contact Sedgwick, Inc. by phone at 1-888-759-6904 (8:00am-5:00pm EST Monday through Friday) or by email address [email protected] . Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking or using this drug product.

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.

Complete and submit the report Online

Regular Mail or Fax: Download form or call 1- 800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Reproduced from the company announcement posted on fda.gov. Links and contact forms in the original are not repeated here; the official notice below has them.

Check your product

The notice names 10 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

Lot or batch code

Usually ink-stamped near the seam, the cap or the bottom of the pack.

  • 2.5
  • T04769

Best-by / use-by date

Printed beside the lot code, not on the price sticker.

  • 2024/12

Establishment number

Inside the USDA mark of inspection on the label.

  • 356

NDC number

On the carton and again on the bottle or blister label.

  • 0904-7144-61
  • 0904-6269-08

Model or item number

On the rating label, the box or the instruction sheet.

  • 2.5
  • 20

Package size

Match the net weight or the piece count on the front of the pack.

  • 2.5 mg
  • 20 mg

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Company recall announcements notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Mislabelled

Major Pharmaceuticals — Misbranding prompted this recall. The agency treats a label that misstates the contents as seriously as it treats contamination, because people act on labels.

  1. Read the official notice to see what is actually inside the pack, then decide whether anyone in your home needs to avoid it.
  2. Return it for a refund; a mislabelled pack is returnable whether or not it is edible for your household.
  3. Keep a photo of the mismatched label, which makes the refund conversation much shorter.
  4. Check the lot code on your pack — these mix-ups are usually confined to a short production window.

Refunds, and what else you can claim

The purchase price is the floor, not the ceiling. Where a recall caused you a real cost, say so.

  • Claim the refund at the store first; it is the fastest route and needs the least paperwork.
  • If you bought several packs over time, list them. Firms routinely settle for more than a single unit when a customer asks.
  • Medical costs, lost earnings or a spoiled event are not handled at the service desk. Write to the company contact on this page instead, with dates and documents.
  • Keep copies of everything you send. If a recall caused harm, that file is what any later claim rests on.

Remedy named in the notice: Wholesalers, Distributors and Retailers that have the affected product which is being recalled should stop distribution of the product and consumers should stop using this affected product, return it to the place of purchase, and contact their physician or healthcare provider.

Company contact: The Harvard Drug Group, LLC d/b/a Major Pharmaceutical and Rugby Laboratories — Consumers: 1-888-759-6904, [email protected] — Media: 800-875-0123, [email protected]

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

Open the FDA — Company recall announcements record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Major Pharmaceuticals prescription & otc drugs recalled?

Packaging may contain incorrect product due to labeling mix-up Risk Statement: There is a reasonable probability that patients who mistakenly take Dronabinol Capsules, USP, 2.5 mg instead of Ziprasidone Hydrochloride, 20 mg capsules, can experience serious adverse events from 1) missing their ziprasidone dose and 2) taking an unexpected dose of Dronabinol.

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: lot code 2.5, T04769; best-by date 2024/12; establishment number 356; model number 2.5, 20. If the code on your package is not on that list, your unit is outside the recall.

What should I do with it right now?

Read the official notice to see what is actually inside the pack, then decide whether anyone in your home needs to avoid it.

Can I get my money back?

The notice says: Wholesalers, Distributors and Retailers that have the affected product which is being recalled should stop distribution of the product and consumers should stop using this affected product, return it to the place of purchase, and contact their physician or healthcare provider.

Where was the recalled product sold?

It was distributed nationwide.

Related recalls