A nationwide recall of levothyroxine sodium tablets is working its way through American pharmacies, and the reason it matters is not dramatic. It is slow. The recalled tablets were pulled because testing indicated they are subpotent, meaning they may deliver less thyroid hormone than the label promises. Nobody collapses from that. What happens instead is that a person who has been stable for years gradually starts feeling worse over several weeks and has no obvious reason why.
Major Pharmaceuticals initiated the voluntary recall on July 13, and the FDA classified it as a Class II recall on July 17. A Class II designation means the agency judged that exposure to the product may cause "temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences" and that the probability of serious harm is remote. The company described the action as voluntary and said the product is "not likely to cause adverse health effects."
