Triad Alcohol Prep Pads, Alcohol Swabs, and Alcohol Swabsticks: Recall Due to Potential Microbial Contamination

Diabetes Technology Glucose Monitoring
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[UPDATED 01/14/2011]

The Triad Group alcohol prep pads are co-packaged and distributed with Genentech medicines Boniva Injection, Fuzeon, Nutropin A.Q.Pen, Pegasys, and TNKase to customers in the United States. Genentech medicines are not contaminated and may continue to be used in accordance with the package insert. Patients and healthcare providers should not use the alcohol prep pads packaged with these medicines and should instead use an alternate alcohol prep pad that is not involved with the Triad Group recall.

[Posted 01/06/2011]

AUDIENCE: Pharmacy, Consumer, Risk Manager

ISSUE: Triad Group, a manufacturer of over-the-counter products and FDA notified healthcare professionals and patients of the recall involving all lots of alcohol prep pads, alcohol swabs, and alcohol swabsticks manufactured by Triad but sold as private labels at the consumer level. This recall has been initiated due to concerns about potential contamination of the products with Bacillus cereus. This recall involves those products marked as STERILE as well as non-sterile products. Use of contaminated alcohol prep pads, alcohol swabs, and alcohol swabsticks could lead to life-threatening infections, especially in at-risk populations, including immune suppressed and surgical patients.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol prep pads, alcohol swabs, and alcohol swabsticks are used to disinfect prior to an injection. They were distributed nationwide to retail pharmacies and are packaged in individual packets and sold in retail pharmacies in a box of 100 packets. The affected Alcohol Prep Pads, Alcohol Swabs and Alcohol Swabsticks can be identified by either "Triad Group," listed as the manufacturer, or the products are manufactured for a third party and use the names listed below in their packaging: Cardinal Health, PSS Select, VersaPro, Boca/ Ultilet, Moore Medical, Walgreens, CVS, Conzellin.

RECOMMENDATION: If a consumer has any of these types of products in their possession listing "Triad Group" as the manufacturer, they should not use the product and should return it to the place it was purchased for a full refund.

Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

  • Complete and submit the report Online: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm
  • Download form or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178


[01/13/2011 - Press Release - Genentech]
[01/06/2011 - Press Release - Triad Group]

Posted at:

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm239319.htm

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Yikes! Thanks for posting.

I have a box of these, from Walgreens. It’s an older box (I’ve used about 80 of the 100 swabs), but knowing my luck the next one I open would be infected. Guess I’ll take the box to Walgreens and see what they can do for me in terms of a refund.

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I just checked mine, there from BD Becton,Dickenson and co. I get them at Costco… Gosh I hope there not part of this…

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Oh, and I called Walgreens because upon checking I discovered my box is actually 120 count, NOT 100 count. I wanted to double check with their customer service reps. They confirmed that the 120 count boxes are also on the recall list (via the barcode number), despite the fact that all info online says it’s just 100 count boxes.