Proctor & Gamble Recall Vicks Dayquil Capsules Due to Packaging Concerns

Cincinnati-based consumer product giant, Proctor & Gamble Company, just voluntarily recalled about 700,000 units of Vicks Dayquil cold medicine. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the recall was initiated based on the discovery that the packaging for the medication was not child proof. The company has informed both the Consumer Product Safety Commission and U.S. Food and Drug Administration of their action.

Although the product label states that the product is contained in child-resistant packaging, no child-resistant backing is present on the blister packs in the product boxes. The action was taken to prevent the possibility of accidental ingestion by children, as the Vicks Dayquil product is not recommended for use in children under the age of 12 years, unless directed for use by a physician. To date, no incidents of accidental ingestion by a child have been reported.

The voluntary recall affects all DayQuil Cold & Flu 24-Count LiquiCaps Bonus Packs containing the UPC code 3 23900 01087 1. These packages can be identified by the by the yellow flag located the top-right corner of the box that advertises a “Bonus of 20 Percent More” to be contained in the package. No other DayQuil or Vicks products are affected.

According to Proctor and Gamble spokeswoman Crystal Harrell, the recalled DayQuil LiquiCaps were distributed nationally between September 2008 and February 2009, as well as between September and December of 2009, as the company offers the bonus packs annually during the cold and flu season. Harrell acknowledged that the packaging issue was discovered during a routine review of company packaging. She also noted that product with the corrected packing will begin shipping within one week.

Consumers who purchased the recalled DayQuil Bonus Packs expecting them to be contained in child-resistant packaging can contact Proctor and Gamble Company for either a refund or replacement coupon by calling 1-800-251-3374. In addition, consumers having questions regarding the recall can either call the toll-free number or visit www.vicks.com.

Consumers may also continue to use the recalled product they may have purchased, providing they use the medication as directed, and take extra precautions to keep the LiquiCaps out of the reach of children. If accidentally ingested by a child, the medication could cause serious health issues, or even death. Each LiquiCap contains four drug ingredients including the pain reliever and fever reducer acetaminophen, the cough suppressant known as dextromethorphan, an antihistamine known as doxylamine, and pseudoephrine, a decongestant.

This recall comes on the heels of another that took place just last month in which Proctor and Gamble voluntarily recalled approximately 120,000 bottles of Vicks Sinex nasal spray. The recall was initiated as a result of the discovery of the bacteria B. cepacia in some product made in a Germany plant during routine testing of samples of the medication. Bacteria B. cepacia has been known to cause serious infections for people who have a compromised immune system, or for people with chronic lung conditions such as cystic fibrosis.