Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 4, 1991 TAG: 9103040249
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A/1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SEATTLE LENGTH: Medium
Burroughs Wellcome ordered the recall of about 1 million packages on Sunday. The day before, state and federal officials revealed they were investigating the poisonings, which took place in the Tacoma and Olympia areas.
Authorities said they are still trying to determine if the victims had anything in common other than their separate purchases of the tainted over-the-counter cold remedy. Investigators gave no possible motive for the tampering.
Meanwhile, a capsule that showed signs of tampering was returned to a Tacoma-area store after the recall order was issued Sunday, authorities said. Tests were being conducted to determine whether it contained cyanide.
FBI agent Dick Thurston said the four Sudafed packages came from different stores.
"Despite what appears to be a localized situation, the company has decided to institute a nationwide recall," said Phil Tracy, president and chief executive officer for Burroughs Wellcome, based in Research Triangle Park, N.C.
The cold remedy was being removed today from the shelves of drug stores in the Roanoke Valley and Western Virginia. Spokesmen for drug chains said their stores would provide refunds for customers who turn in boxes of the 12-hour decongestant capsules.
The product will be removed immediately from the shelves of all of Peoples Drug Stores' 1,300 outlets nationwide, said Fred McGrail, a spokesman for the company.
"It's always disturbing when something like this happens," McGrail said, "but operationally we can handle it."
A spokesperson for SuperX Drug Stores said all of its stores have been instructed to take the product off the shelves and provide refunds to customers. "Refunds will be provided and no questions will be asked," she said.
The cold remedy was also removed from the shelves at Revco Drug Stores. At the Revco store on Brambleton Avenue, all Sudafed had been taken off the shelves by early this morning.
About two dozen federal Food and Drug Administration agents combed stores in the three Washington counties Sunday to ensure the medication was removed from shelves.
Local police and federal authorities launched an investigation Feb. 15 after learning that Jennifer Meling, 28, of Tumwater, an Olympia suburb, had become seriously ill after taking Sudafed laced with cyanide two weeks before.
Then, on Friday, authorities learned that Kathleen Daneker, 40, of Tacoma, had Sudafed and cyanide in her body when she died Feb. 11.
On Sunday, authorities learned that Stanley McWhorter, 44, of Lacey died Feb. 18 of cyanide poisoning after taking Sudafed capsules.
McWhorter was cremated and his vital organs given to the Northwest Organ Procurement Agency before it was learned he had been poisoned. But authorities said blood and tissue samples were taken from his body before the cremation.
Laurie Peterson, a supervisor with the organ procurement agency, said the organ recipients apparently suffered no problems.
"It would have probably been reported to us already had there been serious problems," she said. "I'm pretty certain that things are all right."
Susan Hutchcroft of the FDA declined to say how the cyanide was believed to have been introduced into the capsules. Sudafed has tamper-resistant packaging and capsule design because of earlier scares.
Company officials said they believe any tampering occurred after the products left the Greenville, N.C., plant where they were packaged.
Some of the information for this story was provided by Staff Writer Joel Turner.
Keywords:
FATALITY
by CNB