Tylenol incident

Tamper-evident and tamper-resistant packs were few and far between until the Tylenol incident in the USA, when such packaging became the rule for OTC products almost overnight. WHO, in its guideline on the assessment of medicinal products for use in self-medication, recommends that such packages are highly desirable. 

The earlier use of the word tamper-proof has been replaced by tamper-evidence and tamper-resistance. The Extra Strength Tylenol incidences between 29 September and 7 October 1982 in the USA, whereby seven people were killed by cyanide and the copycat poisonings which followed, provided a worldwide alertness to the issue. Although TE/TR cannot offer total security it does offer some assurance that the product has not been contaminated, some of the contents removed and possibly... 

In 1982, seven people died from consuming cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules. The incident resulted in a total product recall, massive negative pubHcity for the product, new requirements for safe packaging, and a federal statute making product tampering a crime (2). Since that time, the packaging industry has become visible to most consumers. This awareness has benefited the consumer by a reduction in loss of life due to consumption of adulterated products from tampering. Never before has an industry reacted so swiftly to resolve a problem. 

Improving nutrition is essentially a process of encouraging people to make healthful choices that improve their well-being (Wansink, 2005). What happens, however, when we believe contamination, terrorism, or a genetic incidence threatens a part of the food supply Sometimes crises influence the recall, redesign, and communication efforts of individual companies (such as Tylenol, Perrier, Pilgrim s Pride). Others, such as the threat of mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE) in beef can compromise an entire industry. 

Bottles of Tylenol , a common pain reliever, were found to contain sodium cyanide that had purposely been placed there. Seven deaths occurred in Chicago. The murderer has never been found. This incident caused stricter packaging guidelines for the pharmaceutical industry. Most drugs now are sealed into their containers with a plastic or metal wrapping that cannot be removed without it being noticed. 

Acetaminophen (paracetamol JV-acetyl-p-aminophenoF, TYLENOL, others) is an effective alternative to aspirin as an analgesic-antipyretic agent however, its anti-inflammatory effects are much weaker. While it is indicated for pain relief in patients with noninflammatory osteoarthritis, it is not a suitable substitute for aspirin or other NSAIDs in chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Acetaminophen is well tolerated and has a low incidence of GI side effects. It is available without a prescription. Acute overdosage can cause severe hepatic damage, and the number of accidental or deliberate poisonings with acetaminophen continues to grow. Chronic use of less than 2 g/day is not typically associated with hepatic dysfunction. 

The Tylenol tampering incident in the 1970s had a profound effect on Johnson Johnson, as well as every other manufacturer of consumer medical products, and on how these products were sealed and packaged. 

Take, for example, the Tylenol tampering incident. In 1982, bottles of Tylenol that had been tampered with appeared on store shelves. Cyanide injected into the pills led to seven deaths. The CEO of Johnson Johnson was faced with a dilemma. 

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