What was the basis for the tylenol contamination crisis?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

I'm not sure of the year - but in the late 70's in Chicago:

Some sicko was taking bottles of Tylenol capsules and replacing the powder (Acetaminophen) from inside the capsule with Cyanide. Then they'd repackage the drug and place it back on store shelves.

Several people (7 if I remember right) ended up dying from Cyanide poisioning after taking the tainted product.

Several new laws and business practices grew out of this incident. Prior to this, very few (if any) food or drug products had shrink wrap coverrings or other tamper evident seals on them. It also became illegal for retailers to accept returns on drugs and then place them back out on store shelves.

Retailers may still allow you to return product today, but that product MUST be segregated from other stock and disposed of, not resold to another consumer.

This incident dang near bankrupted McNeil Pharma (the maker of Tylenol). A couple things saved them.

1st the CEO of the company at the time had all Tylenol product pulled from retailer's shelves. Every last bottle. This was the first time in U.S. business history that a company had launched a nationwide recall of their product - it cost his company millions of $ at the time, but saved them in the long run.

2nd McNeil launched the safety seal on all their packages - even before it was required by the FDA.

3rd McNeil reformulated all their Tylenol products. You can get Tylenol as liquid, tablets, gel caplets, and fast release tabs. You can NOT and will likely never again see a capsule form of Tylenol on the market. Without a capsule - you can't pull the two halves apart, remove the active ingredient, and replace it with something harmful. All their dosage forms would be much easier to tell if someone has tampered with them now.

Source(s):

Doctor of Pharmacy - Studied this issue in Pharmacy School and Pharmacy Law

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

thanks for the info it was for school

Answer 2

This question makes no sense. What do you mean by "the basis?"

Answer 3

Tylenol originally came in capsules that were very easy to take apart. Some idiot replaced the tylenol with poison and placed the bottles back in the stores.

That is why no over the counter medications come in capsules that can be opened and all packaging is double sealed.

Answer 4

In the autumn of 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died after ingesting Tylenol Extra Strength capsules that contained potassium cyanide. Despite an extensive investigation, the the perpetrator was never found. It is believed that the tampering happened in stores rather than at the factory. As a result of this case, tamper-resistant sealed packing became standard.

Source(s):

Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tylenol_scare

CourtTV's Crime Library: All About the Tylenol Terrorist
http://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/terrorists/tylenol_murders/