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Once again a recall of bad fentanyl pain patchs has been issued, this time by Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Similar to the problems with the Duragesic patches and following last years Watson fentanyl patch recall issued for 75 mcg/hr pain patches, one lot of the Watson generic 100 mcg/hr pain patches, have experienced manufacturing problems which could cause the patches to leak the powerful fentanyl gel contained inside. Leaking fentanyl causes an overdose, respiratory depression or death.

Announced on Friday, the Watson pain patch recall is for 100 mcg/hr Fentanyl Transdermal System patches shipped in the United States between April 2, 2009 and May 20, 2009, with the Lot Number 145287A. The lot number is located on the box or the foil patch, and any pouches covered by this recall should not be handled directly.

The fentanyl pain patch is a generic version of the Duragesic patch, and should only be used patients suffering from severe, chronic pain or end stage cancer. The patch is supposed to release fentanyl, a powerful opioid that is 100 times more potent than heroine, over an extended period of time. However, these patches routinely leak the fentanyl gel causing fatal overdoses.

Similar manufacturing problems have resulted in a number of prior recalls and hundreds of fentanyl pain patch overdose deaths have been associated with different versions of the patch since it was first introduced by Johnson & Johnson in 1994.

Nearly seven different fentanyl patch recalls have been issued by Johnson & Johnson and companies manufacturing generic versions of the patch, raising questions about whether the powerful painkiller can be safely made. Why is this product still on the market? One reason, profit.

Many pain patch wrongful death lawsuits have been filed against manufacturers of the fentanyl patches, alleging that defects caused too much of the gel to be delivered into the users bloodstream. Out of the first four cases to go to trial against Johnson & Johnson, the plaintiffs have been successful in each case, receiving verdicts that combine to exceed $36 million.

One such case, handled by Jersey City's Bagolie Friedman Injury Lawyers, was on behalf of an injured Iraqi war veteran recovering from a bomb blast who died of a fentanyl overdose. "Here is a boy who survived Sadam Hussein's troops in Iraq only to come home to get killed by a fentanyl pain patch", says lawyer Ricky Bagolie.

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