Product Recalls: PHS Keeps You Informed
What’s big, orange, stamped “IMPORTANT” and arrives in the mail?
It may be a product recall alert from PHS.
Families with special needs children have enough to do without worrying about the equipment and supplies they rely on to keep their kids safe at home.
At PHS, we make sure you know as soon as possible about any product recalls or manufacturing defects that may affect your child. There are two kinds of recalls:
- Voluntary – a problem is identified though an internal audit and the company issues the recall.
- Mandated – an issue has been brought to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and it requires a mandatory recall of a product or item.
Our PHS product recall process
We find out about product recalls in two ways. Manufacturers send PHS recall letters about their products. Plus, several PHS employees from our Pharmacy Department and Regulatory Affairs Office are on the list to receive FDA emails on recalls and safety alerts.
They regularly review the emails—sometimes on a daily basis—for any products provided by PHS. When they spot one, they take immediate action, following FDA recommendations.
If a product supplied by PHS is recalled, either voluntarily or by mandate, we find out which of our patients receive that product from us. Then we let tell them about the recall and what they need to do to replace the product with a new non-recalled item. How quickly we contact a family depends on how many patients are affected and if the patients are in danger.
Watch for the bright orange envelope
Typically, we contact the family with a product alert or letter. We make phone calls if only about 20 people or fewer are affected. The alerts are sent by mail in a bright orange envelope that we hope is hard to miss or ignore.
PHS also informs all internal staff about recalls so that clinicians in the home can keep an eye out for the recalled items and the recall envelope, and then remind families to review the information inside.
If you have any questions about recalled products or supplies, as well as any other safety concerns, don’t hesitate to call PHS Customer Service at 651-642-1825. Have you had any experience with product recalls? Did you ever receive an orange envelope from PHS? Do you know of other good sources for product recall information?
Originally published: May 27, 2011