Fentanyl Patch Cases Consolidated in Single Federal Court

September 30, 2012

A recent decision by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has decided to centralize 22 different lawsuits against Watson Pharmaceuticals in the Northern District of Illinois. These cases all stem from allegations that a product manufactured by Watson - a transdermal pain medication known as a fentanyl patch - is defective and has caused severe injuries and death.

Originally, Watson had hoped the Judicial Panel would have consolidated all fentanyl patch cases, including cases involving other manufacturers - such as ALZA Corp, Johnson & Johnson and Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc - but the court decided that there were "insufficient commonalities among the allegations made against the different defendants" to justify consolidating all the cases.

Dangers Associated With Fentanyl Patches

Allegations surrounding the use of fentanyl patches are nothing new as warnings regarding their use have been around for years. In fact in 2005, and later in 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued public health advisories stating that many patients were using fentanyl patches more frequently than necessary and more at once than required - all leading to dangerously high levels of fentanyl in patients' blood.

High levels of fentanyl are dangerous given that fentanyl is a very strong and potent opioid pain medication, which should only be used to treat on-going moderate to severe pain. Moreover, according to the FDA, for patients who are not opioid-tolerant, even one fentanyl patch is strong enough to cause serious side-effects such as respiratory depression or even death.

To further add to the dangers of fentanyl patches, the FDA noted that doctors continue to inappropriately prescribe fentanyl patches to patients for various unintended uses - such as headaches or mild pain - despite warnings from the FDA.

Given how easy it is to overdose on fentanyl and the severe consequences of improper fentanyl patch use, doctors who continue to prescribe fentanyl patches for these "off-label" uses are placing the lives of their patients at risk - a continued practice that may also expose these doctors to civil liability and medical malpractice allegations for their actions.

If you or a loved one have been injured, or even killed, due to the use of a fentanyl patch, it is important to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney to see if you may have a personal injury, medical malpractice or wrongful death claim.

Article provided by Eisenberg Gilchrist & Cutt
Visit us at www.eisenbergandgilchrist.com