Kroger Recalls Multiple Pain Relievers

Four types of pain relief medication has been recalled by Kroger, and customers with families or small children should be aware. All four medications were recalled not for their contents, but for their packaging. Each one failed to meet the standards for child-resistant packaging, posing a risk of overdose to children or anyone else who is not cognizant of what they are taking.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission published recall notices for three Kroger pain relief medications – Kroger Acetaminophen, 100 count bottles; Kroger Arthritis Pain Acetaminophen, 225 count bottles; Kroger Aspirin, 300 count bottles and Kroger Ibuprofen, 160 count bottles. The final two were recalled at the same time and were therefore included in the same recall notice. In all four cases, customers who purchased the products can return them to Kroger for a full refund.

As the CPSC points out in its notices, the Poison Prevention Packaging Act mandates that certain products be designed to prevent children from getting into them. The idea is that medication may be mistaken for candy and taken in excess by those who can't read the directions or warnings on the label. The symptoms of an overdose of acetaminophen, aspirin and ibuprofen range widely depending on age, the size of the dose and other factors.

Each of the CPSC recall notices has information on how you can identify your specific product to see if it is impacted by this recall. Generally, you will want to match the batch codes and expiration dates given. It's important to remember that these products were sold at other stores as well.

Other retailers that carried these products include Baker's, City Market, Dillons, Dillons Marketplace, Fred Meyer, Fry's Food and Drug, Fry's Marketplace, Fry's Mercado, Gerbes, JayC, JayC Food Plus, King Soopers, King Soopers Fresh Fare, King Soopers Marketplace, Kroger, Kroger Fresh Fare, Kroger Marketplace, Mariano's, Metro Market, Payless Super Market, Pick 'n Save, Pick 'n Save Marketplace, Smith's and Smith's Marketplace. They were on sale from July 2021 through March 2022 before the recall.

The CPSC is usually responsible for recalling non-consumable products, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls foods and medications when necessary. You can sign up for email alerts from the CPSC here and get social media alerts, email alerts or text alerts from the FDA here.