Complain about a product or service

Kids’ Cough Medicine Recalled Over Dosing Issue

Robitussin, Dimetapp caps may not give proper dosage

November 1, 2007     Spanish

• Vicks Nasal Spray Recalled Due To Bacterial Contamination • FDA Claims Proctor & Gamble Unlawfully Marketing Meds • Start 2009 With a Medicine Cabinet Checkup • Kids Cough Medicine Gets Warning Labels; Critics Not Impressed • Parents Urged To Shun OTC Cough Medicine • Children and Prescription Drug Abuse: The Threat at Home • Feds to Toughen Rules for Over-the-Counter Kids' Cold Medicines • Children Still Taking Dangerous OTC Medicine, Study Finds • Study: Children Should Not Take Antihistamines for Chronic Cough • More Bad News about Cough Medicine • Saline Nasal Wash Improves Children's Cold Symptoms • Cough Medicine Might Not Help Adults, Either • Parents Warned Camphor Can Be Toxic to Children • FDA Warns of Cough, Cold Medicine Risk to Children • Feds Find Kids Getting High On Cough Meds • Honey May Relieve Children’s Cough • Kids’ Cough Medicine Recalled Over Dosing Issue • Kids' Cough & Cold Remedies Under Fire • Drug Companies Withdraw Infant Cold Remedies • Coughs and Colds in Kids: A Doctor's Advice • FDA Cracks Down On Cough Medicine For Kids • FDA Targets Cough Medicine For Kids Under Two • Experts: Skip The Cough Medicine • Despite the Ads, Cough Syrup Does Little Good • FDA Warns Against DXM Abuse --- • More Health News ...

Some children’s cough medicine is being recalled, not because of what’s in the bottle, but because of what’s on top of the bottle.

Wyeth Pharmaceutical is recalling the products because the bottle caps, used to measure dosage, don’t accurately mark the half-teaspoon level recommended for children ages 2 to 5.

Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, a division of Wyeth, announced a voluntary recall and replacement program for all U.S. retail outlets that sell several Robitussin products and Children’s Dimetapp Cold & Chest Congestion.

“This action is specific to the dosage cup and not related to the medication itself,” Wyeth said in a statement. For children age two to under six, the Company is advising consumers not to use these medicines until the replacement products with the new cup are available.

While the company says there is nothing wrong with the medicine, dosage can be critically important when administered to young children. Public health officials, including the City of Baltimore Health Department, recently asked the Food and Drug Administration to ban cough medicines for kids because overdosing can cause serious injury and even death.

Wyeth says the replacement products with the new dosage cup are expected to be available beginning in early November 2007. Packaging for the replacement products will be marked to indicate that the new dosage cup is included.

The recall and replacement program for these products does not affect other Robitussin and Dimetapp cough and cold products.

Recalled products:

• Robitussin® Cough DM
• Robitussin® Cough & Cold CF
• Robitussin® Cough & Congestion
• Robitussin® Chest Congestion
• Robitussin® Head & Chest Congestion PE
• Robitussin® Cough Sugar Free DM
• Children’s Dimetapp® Cold & Chest Congestion

Important Instructions for Parents and Caregivers

Wyeth also recommend that parents and caregivers of children age two to under six do the following:

• Do not use these medicines in children age two to under six because the dosage cup does not have a half-teaspoon mark, which is the dose on the label of these products for this age group.
• Consult their healthcare professional concerning the most appropriate way to treat cough and cold symptoms for children age two to under six.
• Call 1-800-762-4675 for more information.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Follow us on Twitter.