Recall depleting stocks of children's medicine

The children's cold section aisle is looking bare at many suburban drugstores after a huge recall of more than 40 over-the-counter infant's and children's liquid medications was announced this week.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, based in Fort Washington, Pa, issued a voluntary recall on the products while working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The company is initiating the recall because some of the products may not meet required quality standards, McNeil said in a statement.

The recall involves children's versions of Tylenol, Tylenol Plus, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl.

The FDA said it was reviewing procedures at McNeil, which appears to be the sole source of the problems.

Meanwhile, at a local Walgreens store, the children's cold medicine area was nearly empty, with only store brand pain relievers available for purchase. A yellow sign explained to customers about the recall. It also gave the website of mcneilproductrecall.com for more information.

Many suburban Target customers received automated calls Thursday with information about the recall. The retailer said that if customers used their Target credit card, they were able to track recent purchases of the medicines and alert shoppers of the situation.

According to McNeil and the FDA, some of the products recalled may have a higher concentration of active ingredients than is specified on the bottle. Others may contain unexplained particles, while still others may contain inactive ingredients that do not meet internal testing requirements.

The FDA called the potential for serious medical problems "remote," but it advised consumers to stop using the medicine as a precaution.

The FDA also suggests that parents should consider substitute child medications, including generic versions.