12 Million Motrin Caplets Recalled

SUMMARY: Although consumer safety is not at risk, a recall of 12 million Motrin IB coated caplets is underway with retail stores, due to their reduced efficacy as they near their expiration date.

Once again, Johnson and Johnson has issued a recall for a popular pain reliever. Although contamination is not the reason this time around, the company will take a pretty big hit in their announcement that 12 million bottles of Motrin IB coated caplets need to be removed from retailer shelves.
The Motrin caplets, which had a three-year expiration date, are nearing that date, and the company has found that the pills may not dissolve and begin working as soon as intended, which could delay relief of pain.
The recall is not at the consumer level, and only affects retailers who still have older bottles on their shelves. This is due to the fact that there is no safety concern, such as tampering or contamination.
According to the press release: McNeil is recalling these products because testing of product samples showed that some caplets may not dissolve as quickly as intended when nearing their expiration date. Out of an abundance of caution, we are recalling all the listed products since there is a chance they could experience a similar problem as they approach expiration.
The full list of lot numbers for the Motrin recall can be found here.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call the McNeil-Johnson & Johnson Consumer Call Center at 1-888-222-6036 (available Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time).