Medical device recall warning for Australians

A life saving medical device has been recalled because of a defective part.

Four batches of EpiPen for adults sold in Australia in recent months are part of the recall with about 80,000 devices worldwide possibly affected.

The EpiPen is a 300 microgram adrenaline injection syringe auto-injectors used in emergency situations to treat people who are having a severe allergic reaction (also known as anaphylaxis), including to nuts and bee stings.

The recall was started because of two confirmed cases of the auto-injectors failing to activate correctly or needing more force than normal.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration said there was the risk a patient may not receive the required dose of adrenaline in time, if at all.

“If this happens, it could result in a worsening of the potentially life-threatening symptoms of anaphylaxis,” they said.

 The administration is urging those with EpiPen’s from batches 5FA665, 5FA6651, 5FA6652 or 5FA6653 (above and all of which expire in April 2017) to return them to their pharmacy.

Pharmacists will replace the EpiPen free of charge.

No other batches of EpiPen, including the child’s version (EpiPen Jr 150 microgram adrenaline injection syringe auto-injectors), are known to be affected by the issue.

Patients are advised to keep their current auto-injector in case of emergency, until a replacement is received.

US company Meridian Medical Technologies manufactured the recalled product.

Did you have one of the affected EpiPens?