June 4, 2003 – Consumers and health professionals in the territory are advised to be on the alert for what are described as bottles of counterfeit Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering drug, according to a release from the Licensing and Consumer Affairs Department.
Citing information from the federal Food and Drug Administration, the release said that Albers Medical Distributors has voluntarily recalled three lots of 90-count bottles, saying they contain counterfeit Lipitor and represent a potentially significant risk to consumers.
Labels on the bottles say "Repackaged by: MED-PRO, Inc. Lexington, Neb." in the lower left corner. The lots involved in the recall are:
– 20722V, expiration 09-2004.
– 04132V, expiration 01-2004.
– 16942V, expiration 09-2004.
"The FDA is urging health-care providers and patients alike to check the packaging very carefully" before using any Lipitor product," the release stated, and patients who have bottles with any of the label and lot indications cited should not use the medication but return the product to the place of purchase. According to the release, an FDA investigation into the matter is in progress.
For further information, call Alli Paul, DLCA director of consumer affairs, at 773-2226.
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