Hospira recalls hydromorphone pain product on overdose concerns

USA-based Hospira (NYSE: HSP), the world’s leading provider of injectable drugs and infusion technologies, last week initiated a voluntary user level recall of one lot of hydromorphone injection, due to a reported complaint of a single Carpuject containing more than the 1mL labeled fill volume.

The company noted that opioid pain medications such as hydromorphone have life-threatening consequences if overdosed. Those consequences can include respiratory depression (slowed breathing or suspension of breathing), low blood pressure and reduced heart rate including circulatory collapse.

The affected product is a prefilled glass cartridge for use with the Carpuject Syringe system. The affected lot number is 12720LL. The expiration date is December 1, 2013. The affected lot was distributed in March-May 2012.