A New Jersey pharmacy that makes custom medications for veterinarians across the country is recalling nearly 4,000 products because some medications pets have been taking since February could be weaker or stronger than their labels say.
Wedgewood Pharmacy said it has received 98 complaints about the affected medications — seven which were serious. The company’s announcement, posted Oct. 21 by the Food and Drug Administration, doesn’t say what those complains involved, which animals were affected or whether any died.
Wedgewood said its own quality processes turned up “inconsistencies in the reliability of certain analytical testing data generated by their laboratory.” The company said that means some of the products could contain less or more of the active drug than intended.
Too little medication could leave an animal’s condition untreated, while too much could cause toxicity or an overdose, the company said.
The recall covers unexpired medications shipped between Feb. 18 and Oct. 6 to veterinary practices, pharmacies and customers nationwide, according to the announcement. A list on the company’s recall website includes 3,927 stock-keeping units, or SKUs, each a specific combination of drug, strength and dosage.
The products include powders, pastes, liquids, injectables, eye and ear medications, sprays and gels made for companion animals, horses, exotic pets and zoo, wildlife and aquatic animals, the company said.
Sedgwick, a company Wedgewood hired to help coordinate the recall, is notifying affected customers by email and mail arranging refunds or, where possible, replacements, according to the announcement.
The announcement doesn’t say whether pet owners who received the medications through their veterinarian will hear from Sedgwick or can get a refund through it.
Wedgewood has recalled veterinary products before, including two medications that may have been less potent than labeled, according to notices from the California State Board of Pharmacy and the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Pet owners can check whether their pet’s medication is included in the recall by searching the SKU or lot number at wedgewood.com/recall-lookup. Owners with an affected product should stop using it immediately, hold onto it and call the recall line at 866-562-5931, the company said. Wedgewood said owners with questions about their pet’s health should call their veterinarian.
Adverse reactions can be reported to the FDA at 1-888-FDA-VETS or fda.gov/reportanimalae.
