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Johnson & Johnson recalls more drugs made at Ft. Washington plant

Johnson & Johnson, stung during the last year by two high-profile drug recalls, quietly has called back more of its products made at a Fort Washington plant, including about four million packages of Children's Benadryl allergy tablets and 800,000 bottles of junior-strength Motrin caplets.

Johnson & Johnson, stung during the last year by two high-profile drug recalls, quietly has called back more of its products made at a Fort Washington plant, including about four million packages of Children's Benadryl allergy tablets and 800,000 bottles of junior-strength Motrin caplets.

The company, the world's largest health-care manufacturer, said the products were safe and could continue to be used. It determined, however, that there were "insufficiencies in the development of the manufacturing process."

"There is no indication that the recalled products do not meet quality standards," the company said in a notice posted last week on the individual websites of the drugs, "and this recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse effects."

The "insufficiencies" were uncovered as a result of a review of manufacturing procedures at McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a subsidiary based in Fort Washington, where it also has a manufacturing plant.

The review was launched after the Fort Washington manufacturing plant was shut down as a result of a Food and Drug Administration inspection in April that uncovered multiple deficiencies.

McNeil also ordered the recall of 146 million bottles of children's medication made at the facility, including liquid Tylenol, Motrin, and Benadryl. The plant remains closed.

The Motrin and Benadryl subject to the latest recall were manufactured at the Fort Washington plant before it was closed, Bonnie Jacobs, a J&J spokeswoman, said Tuesday.

The products being recalled are Children's Benadryl allergy Fastmelt tablets, in cherry and grape flavors, and junior-strength Motrin caplets, 24 count.

Benadryl tablets were distributed in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Belize, Barbados, St. Martin, and St. Thomas. The Motrin was distributed in the United States, the company said.

Also recalled were 71,000 caplets of Extra Strength Rolaids soft-chews, which were manufactured by another firm for McNeil, Jacobs said.

According to the Rolaids website: "The recall was initiated as a precaution following consumer complaints of an uncharacteristic consistency or texture, traced to crystallized sugar in the product."

J&J, which has been under scrutiny for its failure last year to make public another product recall, did not issue a news release to announce this latest recall.

Jacobs said no broad news release was issued because this was a wholesale and retail recall, not one aimed at consumers.