How to Find Drug Recalls and What to Do Next

A recall doesn’t always mean your prescription or supplement is affected

Sari Harrar and Aaron Kassraie,

Updated August 14, 2026

AARP

Reviewed by

Zachary Cox, PharmD

En español

Updated August 14, 2026

Hand holding single capsule against abstract background

Getty Images

Key takeaways

Most drug recalls apply only to specific manufacturers or lot numbers, not every version of a medication or supplement.
Check the product name, manufacturer and lot number to find out if a recall affects your medication or supplement.
For many prescription drug recalls, stopping medication without guidance may be riskier than continuing it until a replacement plan is made.

If you hear that a medication or supplement has been recalled, your first instinct might be to stop taking it. But most recalls aren’t as sweeping as they sound. A recall usually applies only to specific manufacturers, products or lot numbers — not every version of a drug or supplement on the market.

Finding out whether a recall actually applies to you takes only a few minutes, and it’s worth the time. Stopping a prescription on your own can carry more risk than the recall itself. So the safest first steps are to check the recall notice closely, compare it with the product in your home and talk to a pharmacist or health care provider before stopping a prescription medication.

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It’s a situation a lot of people will face. About two-thirds of adults in the U.S. say they take at least one prescription drug, and nearly a third say they take four or more, according to a 2026 poll by nonprofit health policy research organization KFF.

Older adults are especially likely to manage multiple prescriptions, with 6 in 10 people age 65 and older reporting that they take four or more medications. And those numbers do not include the vitamins, minerals and supplements that millions more take daily.

Because older adults are more likely to use multiple medications and supplements, they’re also more likely to encounter a recall affecting a product they use.

How safe is the U.S. drug supply?

The good news is that the U.S. drug supply is, overall, dependable. “Prescription drugs in the United States are fundamentally safe,” says Dr. G. Caleb Alexander, a professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University and founding codirector of the Johns Hopkins Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness. “We’re a world apart from many low- and middle-income countries where substandard and falsified medicines are a daily issue.”

But he adds a caveat. “We do have a supply chain where the overwhelming majority of our generics, and even more of our active ingredients, are made overseas — often at facilities that the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] inspects rarely,” Alexander says. “The message is a little bit nuanced.”

To make sense of any recall you hear about, it helps to start with the basics: what a recall actually is, who orders it and what the different types mean for you.

What a medication recall means

A medication or supplement is typically recalled when it’s defective, contaminated or potentially harmful. A recall may be initiated by the company that makes the product or requested by the FDA when the agency determines action is needed to protect consumers. Most importantly, most recalls affect specific manufacturers and lot numbers, not every version of a medication with the same name.

However, not every recall makes the news. An FDA spokesperson told AARP that public notices are generally issued when a product has been distributed widely or poses a serious health hazard, so a recall can be underway without a headline announcing it.

The FDA sorts recalls into three classes based on how serious the risk is:

Class I: The most serious. There’s a reasonable chance the product could cause serious harm or death. Follow the instructions in the recall notice immediately and contact your pharmacist or health care provider if you have questions.
Class II: Moderate risk. The product might cause a temporary, reversible problem, but serious harm is unlikely. You can often continue taking it unless the recall notice, your pharmacist or health care provider tells you otherwise.
Class III: Least serious. The product isn’t likely to hurt you; it is usually recalled because of a labeling, packaging or expiration-date issue. Keep using it unless you’re told otherwise.

Recalls also differ in how far down the supply chain they go. Some stop at the wholesaler, before the product ever gets to a pharmacy. Others reach the retail level, where pharmacies pull it from their shelves. The deepest recalls reach the consumer level, meaning patients who already have the product are contacted directly in some select cases and asked to stop using it.

Most drug recalls fall into Class II, and the total number has stayed fairly steady over the past few years. The majority are voluntary, or initiated by the company itself, according to Ileana Elder, a branch chief in the Incidents, Recalls, and Shortages Branch within the Office of Compliance at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, speaking on an FDA podcast.

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The FDA’s oversight extends to generic drugs, too. “Generic drugs have to meet the same strict quality, safety and efficacy standards as brand-name drugs,” says Leigh Purvis, prescription drug policy principal at the AARP Public Policy Institute. “The FDA also monitors approved drugs and takes action to ensure patient safety, including recommending or requesting product recalls if needed. AARP has always been very clear that the FDA should have the resources to do its job.”

How supplement recalls are different

Recalls involving dietary supplements work differently. Unlike prescription and over-the-counter drugs, supplements generally do not require FDA approval before they are marketed. Instead, the FDA’s oversight is largely post-market, meaning the agency typically takes action after a problem is discovered.

Supplement recalls frequently involve undeclared prescription drugs, foreign or unapproved drugs, banned substances, contamination or other safety concerns, says Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School whose research focuses on dietary supplement safety. Products marketed for memory, weight loss, sports performance, sexual enhancement or specific medical conditions warrant extra scrutiny because those categories are more often found to contain undeclared or prohibited ingredients.

“If you buy a prescription medication that says it has 5 milligrams of something in it, it will have five in it,” says Cohen. “[That] is not present with supplements. Manufacturers make it, sell it, and that’s how it goes. You don’t have to use a standardized manufacturing process.”

How to check drug and supplement recalls

Once you’ve determined the type of recall, the next step is figuring out whether it applies to the specific medication or supplement in your home. You may hear about a recall from the news, your pharmacy, your health care provider, the manufacturer or an FDA alert. Regardless of where the news comes from, the question that matters stays the same: Is the product in your cabinet actually one of the affected ones? Three checks will tell you.

Step 1: Verify the recall.

Check FDA recall notices.
Don’t rely solely on social media posts or headlines.
Find out the manufacturer, product name and lot number(s).

Step 2: Confirm the manufacturer.

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Many medications are made by multiple manufacturers, and recalls often affect only one company. That’s why matching the drug name alone isn’t enough. Check the manufacturer listed in the recall notice against what’s in your home.

Step 3: Check the lot number.

Once you’ve confirmed the product name and manufacturer, compare the recall notice against your product’s lot number.

If the medication is in the original manufacturer container (such as a pill bottle, cream tube or inhaler), the lot number is usually printed near the expiration date.
If the medication was repackaged by the pharmacy into an orange prescription bottle, the lot number may not appear on the label.
If you can’t find the lot number, call your pharmacy. A pharmacist should be able to help identify the lot number used to fill your prescription.

This is an important step because many recalls affect only specific lots or batches, not every version of a medication.

What to do if your drug or supplement is recalled

If the product name, manufacturer and lot number match the recall notice, your next step depends on whether it’s a prescription drug, over-the-counter medication or supplement.

For prescription medications, don’t stop using it unless the recall notice or your health care provider tells you to. Patients often assume a recall means they should stop taking the medication, but in most cases they should keep taking it until a doctor or pharmacist helps make a replacement plan.

“The first thing to do is not to panic,” Alexander says. Most recalls affect specific manufacturers and lots, rather than every version of a product.

Where to find FDA recall lists and alerts

If you hear about a recall, these are the best places to verify the details and check whether your product is included:

The FDA’s drug recall page lists announcements by company and includes a searchable table of recent drug recalls.
The FDA’s website includes alerts for FDA-regulated products, including drugs and supplements.
The FDA’s enforcement reports include recalls that may not have a public press release and may appear as pending or not yet classified while FDA review is underway.
The FDA’s Recalls of Foods and Dietary Supplements page lists recent food and supplement recall announcements. Supplements are regulated by the FDA as a category of food, so most supplement recalls appear here rather than on the drug recall page.
AARP’s Product Recalls and Consumer Safety page includes recent consumer alerts and sections for food recalls, pharmaceutical and medical recalls, and other product safety notices.
Pharmacy or manufacturer notifications may be the most direct route of all. These may arrive by phone, email, letter or app alert if your specific prescription is affected.

Once you find a recall, look for the product name, manufacturer, recall class and affected lot numbers before deciding whether the product in your home is affected.

If a product made you sick or you’ve noticed a problem with its quality, you can report it to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting system:

Complete and submit a report online.
Regular mail or fax: Download this form or call 800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the preaddressed form, or submit by fax to 800-332-0178.

How to choose supplements more safely

Because supplements generally do not go through FDA approval before they are marketed, it’s worth doing some extra checking before buying one.

Cohen recommends looking for products certified by independent third-party testing programs, such as USP and NSF. These programs test whether a supplement contains what the label says it contains and if it meets certain quality standards. USP says its verified label indicates that a supplement contains the ingredients listed on the bottle, does not contain harmful levels of specified contaminants, will break down properly in the body and was made according to FDA good manufacturing practices. NSF also maintains similar testing criteria.

But Cohen says there is an important caveat: Third-party certification can help verify what is in the bottle, but it does not prove that the supplement works as advertised.

To shop more safely:

Start your search with the USP Verified Products database or the NSF Certified Dietary Supplements database.
Look for the exact product and brand listed by the certifying organization, not just a similar-looking logo on a bottle.
Be extra cautious with products marketed for memory, weight loss, sports performance or specific medical conditions, which Cohen says are more likely to contain undeclared or prohibited ingredients.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medications or are using the supplement to manage a health condition.

Latest drug recalls to check

Cetirizine hydrochloride tablets, USP, 5 mg

Manufacturer/distributor: Made by Unique Pharmaceutical Laboratories, distributed by Rising Pharma Holdings Inc.
Date of recall: July 18, 2026
Reason for recall: Potential cross contamination with ranitidine
AARP article

Levothyroxine Sodium Tablets, USP, 25–150 mcg

Manufacturer/distributor: Major Pharmaceuticals, Cardinal Health
Date of recall: July 13, 2026
Reason for recall: Potency issue (less active ingredient than the label states)
AARP article

Beekeeper’s Naturals saline nasal spray

Manufacturer/distributor: Beekeeper’s Naturals
Date of recall: June 11, 2026
Reason for recall: Exceeded acceptable microbiological limits for yeast; may contain aspergillus

ChloraPrep Clear 1 mL applicators and ChloraPrep FREPP Clear 1.5 mL applicators

Manufacturer/distributor: BD
Date of recall: June 6, 2026
Reason for recall: Potential fungal contamination

Gas-X Extra Strength Softgels, 125 mg (120 ct and 72 ct)

Manufacturer/distributor: Haleon
Date of recall: June 4, 2026
Reason for recall: Potential chemical contamination

Latest as of publication. For the most current list, check the FDA’s drug recall page.

Latest supplement recalls to check

Zen Principle moringa leaf powder capsules

Manufacturer/distributor: Relay Peak Research LLC (Zen Principle Naturals)
Date of recall: July 19, 2026
Reason for recall: Possible salmonella contamination

TNVitamins organic moringa products

Manufacturer/distributor: Total Nutrition Inc.
Date of recall: June 26, 2026
Reason for recall: Possible salmonella contamination

Better Weather Fix elixir

Manufacturer/distributor: Better Weather Actives LLC
Date of recall: May 28, 2026
Reason for recall: Undeclared mitragynine and other substances

Sexual enhancement capsules

Manufacturer/distributor: Best Supplements Best Prices
Date of recall: May 11, 2026
Reason for recall: Undeclared sildenafil, tadalafil and flibanserin

Latest as of publication. For the most current list, check the FDA’s dietary supplements page.

Sari Harrar is an award-winning reporter and contributing editor to AARP publications who writes on health, public policy and other topics.

Aaron Kassraie writes about issues important to military veterans and their families for AARP. He also serves as a general assignment reporter. Kassraie previously covered U.S. foreign policy as a correspondent for the Kuwait News Agency’s Washington bureau and worked in news gathering for USA Today and Al Jazeera English.

Zachary Cox is a pharmacist and professor at Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy and adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee.

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