The FDA’s MedWatch, a safety information and adverse event warning system, today announced a voluntary recall of certain lots of Baxter Healthcare’s Heparin and issued a warning for Ortho Evra Contraceptive Transdermal (Skin) Patch.

Baxter notified healthcare professionals of a voluntary recall of certain lots.  Some of the reported adverse events included abdominal pain, decreased blood pressure, burning sensation, chest pain diarrhea and a host of other side effects. For further information go to http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety2008/safety08.htm#Heparininj.

Meanwhile Ortho and the FDA issued a warning on the Ortho Evra Contraceptive patch as a result of a new study that found that users of the birth control patch were at higher risk of developing serious blood clots, also known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), than women using birth control pills. The label changes are based on a study conducted by the Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program on behalf of Johnson and Johnson, the parent company of Ortho.  More information on these labeling changes can be obtained at: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2008/safety09.htm#orthoevrapatch.