Watson Pharmaceutical is recalling more of their fentanyl pain patches because of their tendency to leak harmful fentanyl gel.

The manufacturer is recalling the 75mcg/hr fentanyl transdermal system patches sold in the US from wholesalers and pharmacies. These defective drug patches are used to manage persistent chronic pain that requires constant treatment with opioids.

The recalled patches in particular are from lot number 92461850 and have an expiration date of August 31, 2009. These patches were shipped to customers between January 30, 2008 and March 19, 2008.

According to Watson, some of the patches in this lot have been leaking fentanyl gel and exposing it to patients or caregivers. Fentanyl gel is a highly addictive opiate that is 80 times more potent than morphine. Direct exposure can cause serious effects such as trouble breathing, extreme tiredness, confusion, or death.

On March 1, 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a third major recall of Fentanyl Pain Patches.

Actavis South Atlantic LLC, which sells generic versions of Duragesic fentanyl pain patches, voluntarily recalled all lots of fentanyl transdermal system CII pain patches on the market with expiration dates between May 2009 and December 2009.

This third recall of Fentanyl pain patches is an expansion of an initial recall of Actavis Fentanyl pain patches that occurred on February 17th. The original recall only affected fourteen lots.

Actavis states that this third recall is a voluntary measure to prevent any exposure to Fentanyl gel that may result from damaged pain patches that were not already recalled. The Fentanyl pain patches in question have a fold-over defect, which could potentially cause Fentanyl gel to leak.

The only Fentanyl patches that are not affected by this recall are those sold by Actavis in Europe.

Exposure to Fentanyl gel is very dangerous and can result in serious adverse and fatal effects, such as respiratory depression and overdose. Fentanyl is a potent opioid and should only be prescribed to those suffering from chronic pain and who are in need of around the clock narcotic medication.

Do not use damaged Fentanyl pain patches under any circumstance. If exposure to Fentanyl gel does occur, do not use soap, but thoroughly rise the site with water.

Actavis South Atlantic LLC was previously known as Abrika Pharmaceuticals Inc. Some of the recalled patches may still be labeled Abrika Pharmaceuticals Inc., although the outer carton does have the Actavis logo.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious or fatal illness due to damaged Duragesic or Fentanyl pain patches, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a Duragesic attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced Fentanyl attorney will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.

Fentanyl is a medication that is prescribed to those with intense pain due to chronic or fatal illnesses. The composition of Fentanyl is similar to morphine and heroin, as it contains a synthetic opiate.

An overdose of Fentanyl will cause symptoms of respiratory depression and eventually respiratory arrest.

In February, the U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) issued it’s second warning regarding the misuse of Fentanyl since 2005.

Both patient and doctor error have lead to numerous fatalities through the misuse of Fentanyl. The FDA has only approved the use of Fentanyl for those with chronic pain, who are already accustomed to the use of opioids.

In order for the patient to be accustomed to an opioid, they must have consistently used the medication 24-hours a day for a week or more.

The FDA has been alerted to physicians prescribing Fentanyl to patients with non-chronic pain. Doctors have prescribed Fentanyl to patients suffering from post-surgery pain, migraine headaches and those that have never taken an opioid medication.

Accidental overdoses of Fentanyl have also been linked to frequent application of the pain patches. Another common misuse is from allowing the Fentanyl pain patch to become hot, which increases the delivery of Fentanyl through the skin.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious or fatal illness from misuse of Duragesic or Fentanyl pain patches, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a Duragesic attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced Fentanyl attorney will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.