The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) handles recalls related to defective and dangerous auto parts. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) handles recalls of most defective consumer products. And when it comes to recalls of food, medication and medical devices, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) manages recalls that help to keep the public safer.
The challenge is that not all Americans are aware of such recall efforts and, therefore, they aren’t always alert to the fact that they’re at heightened risk of incurring harm simply by eating something that has been tainted, taking a medication that could cause severe side effects or using a medical device that could hurt more than heal. As a result, learning to research FDA recall efforts and read recall notices is very important.
Making the effort can save your life
The first thing you’ll want to do is take a few minutes every 3-4 weeks and simply look for FDA recall news using your favorite search engine. Scroll around and see if anything that pops up applies to you or a loved one. You can also use the FDA’s website to search, but using the news tab on a trusted platform will generally put major recall news stories in front of your eyes.
Then, pull up any recall notice that may apply to you or a loved one and see what it says. When you pull up any particular example, you should be able to see the specific product being recalled, when it was manufactured, how many lots/items have been affected and what those who have been impacted by the recall should do as a result of the FDA’s notice.
By making this effort for a few minutes every few weeks, you could potentially stumble upon information that could save your life or the life of someone you love. Given what defective drugs and medical devices can do to people, it is an effort worth making.
