Fleet enemas are commonly used in both healthcare facilities and in the home to relieve constipation. These seemingly safe treatments are available over-the-counter (OTC). As shown in Figure 1, the product label says, “Fleet Enema Saline.” This would lead you to believe that the enema was basically made of saline (salt or sodium chloride and water). However, this product actually contains phosphate which can cause bad side effects, especially in elderly people or those with kidney disease.
Read Safety ArticleKaopectate is a medicine used to stop diarrhea. It contains bismuth subsalicylate. This is the same ingredient found in Pepto-Bismol, another medicine used for diarrhea and upset stomach.
Read Safety ArticleThe brand name Dramamine is the latest example of a well known, over-the-counter (OTC) medicine name being recycled for use in products that contain a different medicine or ingredients that differ from those in the original product. The original Dramamine (regular or chewable) contains 50 mg of dimenhydrinate (Figure 1). But there is now a Dramamine that contains a different medicine called meclizine 25 mg per tablet (Figure 2). And another product, Dramamine Non-Drowsy Naturals, does not contain a drug at all—it’s a supplement that only contains ginger root (Figure 3).
Read Safety ArticleA woman accidentally put ear wax removal drops (carbamide peroxide 6.5%) into her eye. This caused irritation and redness that persisted after rinsing her eye with water for 15 minutes. The bottle of ear wax removal drops (Figure 1) looks like a container used for eye drops. A warning that the drops are for the ears only is not on the front of the bottle (and carton) label. On the back of the carton, it says, “When using this product, do not get into eyes” in the Drug Facts table, but it does not stand out. This is mentioned on the side of the bottle, but the warning is buried in the middle of a paragraph in very small print.
Read Safety ArticleThere is evidence that some patients (and perhaps even health professionals) may not recognize that FDA-required facts about over-the-counter (OTC) medications, including dosing information, are often on a peel-back label that is stuck to the bottle.
Read Safety ArticleA news report about a woman who accidentally glued one of her eyes shut when she mistook Super Glue (cyanoacrylate adhesive) for her eye drops is a reminder that the potential for this mix-up is real. In 2010, The Associated Press reported that a woman who had cataract surgery a year ago was reaching for what she thought was one of her half-dozen eye medications but picked up a nearby super glue container in error. A burning sensation immediately indicated that something was seriously wrong, so she went to the hospital where doctors worked on getting her eye open.
Read Safety ArticleMany people are familiar with over-the-counter wart treatments. They're typically liquid based or are packaged in an aerosol container with a special application tip. But did you know there is also a wart remover that uses a dry formulation in the form of a stick? Within the last year a company called Balassa Laboratories has repackaged an old formula of a solid stick wart remover (previously packaged under the name PediFix). The newly packaged product, called WartSTICK, is now available at popular chain drugstores such as CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens on-line. Our concern? It looks identical to a container of lip balm. The active ingredient in WartSTICK is salicylic acid, which should NEVER come in contact with the lips or mucous membranes inside your mouth.
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