At Kroger and Walgreens, medication bottles have been recalled for failing child-safe protocols. Federal organizations and consumers file product liability lawsuits against companies that fail to meet FDA requirements. Numerous federal laws and organizations are designed to protect the safety of child and adult consumers in Florida.
FDA requirements for child-safe products
In Kroger stores nationwide, the Aspirin and Ibuprofen pill bottles were recalled when the packages failed to meet child-resistant packaging requirements. The name-brand drugs are safe for use in adults at the recommended dosages. When children grab a handful of them, they could swallow tablets in unsafe quantities and risk being poisoned.
Child-resistant packaging is designed to prevent young children under the ages of five from opening the products. In addition, adults must be able to open the package in a reasonable time and seal its contents properly.
Product liability lawsuits
Chattem Inc. was sued in 1994 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) over the child-resistant safety packaging of their Pamprin products. The lawsuit concerned the issue of product liability based on the regulations in the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA).
Since 2020, the Commission has intensified the reviews of products that adhere to their child-safe packaging regulations. The organization has increased the number of recalled products that have failed to meet safety testing standards.
Brand-name, over-the-counter medications are put through stringent testing to prevent consumers from being harmed by faulty products. However, errors in product designs still occur and result in nationwide recalls. In general, companies that make and sell medications have to meet child-resistant packaging requirements to prevent accidental poisoning in children.