Digitek heart medicine recall

Patients are being notified about a major heart medicine recall.

By: Karen McNew | WSLS 10
Published: May 13, 2008

Carilion Medical Center pharmacist Tammy DeGraff has a list of one hundred or more patients to call about a major heart medicine recall.

Peggy Markham gets her prescriptions through the mail and recently got this letter about it that says, "The recall is due to the possibility that tablets with double the appropriate thickness may have been commercially released these may contain twice the approved level of active ingredients."

Pharmacist James Black says they are researching computer files of patients from March of 2006, "They ask us to go back two years so we're complying with their wishes...and letting everyone know."

Peggy wants to know how it happened in the first place.

She says, "Who's doing the quality assurance for this pharmaceutical firm that's making this medication?"

Black just dispenses the medicines but offers this possibility, "Unfortunately, as long as we humans are doing things there are going to be mistakes."

A lawyer for Actavis, the company that makes the pills says the pills would be twice as thick.

Peggy's doctor tells her she hasn't had any negative reaction. But if you take Digitek you should call your doctor right away.

Right now, Actavis is no longer producing Digitek because they are working to "address and identify the cause of what led to the recall."

I am told no one has reported complications and that they do not know how many pills may have been affected and that is why they are pulling all of them.

Do not stop taking your medicine. Talk to your doctor and call this phone number if you have Digitek from march of 2006 to april of this year.

1-888-276-6166

Link to Actavis and more about the recall