PSA: TopCare Aspirin (Update)

[braumeister]

Had a bottle (500 tablets) of TopCare brand coated aspirin (325 mg) that I've been using for quite some time. Recently got down near the end of the bottle and notice something odd in it. There were three very different white pills mixed in with the aspirin. They had a number stamped on them (L612) that identified them as the drug Loratadine, which is essentially the same as the brand name Claritin (allergy pills).

I was amazed that quality control could be so poor as to let multiple instances of a drug be included in another drug's bottle.

Not sure where I got this, since I normally buy whatever generic aspirin I happen to see on the shelf and it has been at least a year or two since I bought this one.

Just wanted to warn others away from this brand.

 

[MichaelB]

Wow, that’s incredible. Something to report to the FDA. Good thing you look at the pills before taking them.

 

[cathy63]

Wow! That's rather scary. At least Loratidine is unlikely to do any harm if you take it by mistake, but I'd probably steer clear of that brand from now on.

 

[braumeister]

I doubt if many here would click that naked link unless you provided some summary and context.

 

[MichaelB]

I doubt if many here would click that naked link unless you provided some summary and context.

Too late, it’s been removed. Another reminder to members, naked links not allowed.

 

[bolt]

FWIW:
Theres a '98 movie called Aspirin:A bitter pill.
It's currently on Amazon prime iirc.
It's quite telling.

no more links from me, google it

Good luck & best wishes....

 

[braumeister]

It also has nothing to do with the thread topic, but thanks for your input.

 

[Sunset]

OP - What you say is pretty alarming, but I do have to ask, is it possible someone in your household takes Loratadine, and accidentally put the pills back into the wrong bottle ?

Just want to eliminate that possibility.

 

[braumeister]

OP - What you say is pretty alarming, but I do have to ask, is it possible someone in your household takes Loratadine, and accidentally put the pills back into the wrong bottle ?

Just want to eliminate that possibility.

Good thought, but no, not a chance. Neither of us has ever taken it. Plus, it's an oddly shaped tablet, which I had never seen before.

I've reported it to both the manufacturer and the FDA.

 

[6miths]

OP - What you say is pretty alarming, but I do have to ask, is it possible someone in your household takes Loratadine, and accidentally put the pills back into the wrong bottle ?

Just want to eliminate that possibility.

This would be the answer at my house and I would be the likely culprit. Usually travel related.

 

[CardsFan]

This would be the answer at my house and I would be the likely culprit. Usually travel related.

Yeah. I am guilty of that too. Though usually I only put the needed amount for the trip. And usually in a zip lock bag. If I don’t [-]rennet[/-] remember what it was, toss it.

Edit to correct. Damn Auto-correct.

 

[Sunset]

This would be the answer at my house and I would be the likely culprit. Usually travel related.

DW does this on purpose for travel, has a bottle with 6 different pills in it. Saves space.
I keep trying to tell her, some customs agent at a border is going to question what all the pills are, and I have no clue.

 

[Turbo29]

I would report it to the FDA. There are just a handful of manufacturers for generic aspirin so many different private labels may potentially have had the same thing happen.

 

[braumeister]

Had a bottle (500 tablets) of TopCare brand coated aspirin (325 mg) that I've been using for quite some time. Recently got down near the end of the bottle and notice something odd in it. There were three very different white pills mixed in with the aspirin. They had a number stamped on them (L612) that identified them as the drug Loratadine, which is essentially the same as the brand name Claritin (allergy pills).

I was amazed that quality control could be so poor as to let multiple instances of a drug be included in another drug's bottle.

Not sure where I got this, since I normally buy whatever generic aspirin I happen to see on the shelf and it has been at least a year or two since I bought this one.

Just wanted to warn others away from this brand.
View attachment 35234

Interesting followup:
I had reported this to the FDA using their website.
Today, more than two years later, I got a letter in the mail from the manufacturer saying that they were prepared to investigate the incident, but I needed to call them and tell them the lot number, quantity, and expiration date.

The bizarre part is that in the subject line of this letter were all those details, which I had given the FDA.

 

[JoeWras]

FDA sounds as backed up as the IRS.

I'm convinced that little to no mail was opened for 6 months or so during COVID, and they may never catch up.