Excedrin Shortage Causes Prices to Skyrocket over $300 a Bottle

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Novartis, the company that manufactures Excedrin voluntarily recalled the product in December because bottles made at their Lincoln, Nebraska plant may have been contaminated with powerful prescription drugs made at the same factory.

Immediately after the recall, bottles began selling online at sites such as Ebay for as much as $100 a bottle. Since Novartis has still not restocked product, the scarcity of the remaining bottles has skyrocketed to over $300 on the secondary market for bottles containing 100 pills. The retail price of Excedrin for 100 count bottles was $6 before the shortage.

Excedrin, Gas-X and NoDoz and Bufferin products were all recalled and may have accidentally been packaged with prescription painkillers made at the same facility. These opioid drugs include Percocet, Endocet, Opana and Zydone.

There does not seem to be a secondary market for Gas-X, NoDox and Bufferin.

$300 a Bottle

Novartis said mixing of different products in the same bottle could result in taking an incorrect drug or receiving a higher or lower strength than intended or receiving an unintended ingredient, which could result in a reaction or overdose.

The recall is for bottled packages of Excedrin and NoDoz with expiration dates of Dec. 20, 2014, or earlier, and for Gas-X and Bufferin with expiration dates of Dec. 20, 2013, or earlier, sold in the United States.

The products are being recalled due to an internal product review and complaints that identified issues such as broken gelcaps, chipped tablets and inconsistent bottle packaging line clearance practices, which created a potential for a tablet mix up.

The company said it has notified its distributors and retailers. Consumers can find more information on the website www.novartis-otc.com

Novartis has advised that Excedrin, Gas-X and NoDoz and Bufferin products may not return to shelves until July.

Consumers are cautioned to not buy recalled product.

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    • Ronald Poppo on June 7, 2012 at 11:08 am

    This is shameful. When is it going to back on the shelves?

    • elektronische zigarette on June 8, 2012 at 1:28 pm

    $300 US dollars for one bottle? Crazy americans.

      • Sagita on June 30, 2012 at 6:45 pm

      Excedrin migraine and exrdecin are the same medication. The only difference is the instruction reading material.Many stores make housebrands. I buy “equate” pain reliever at walmart in similar green &white packaging.Cvs, waldgreens, duane reede. Rite aid. etc offer house brands. I prefer the better discount at walmart

    • p90x on June 9, 2012 at 9:10 am

    Hardly anyone has information about where to get Excedrin. I love it. Thanks for the good article!

    • kefir grains michigan on June 9, 2012 at 3:19 pm

    I won’t mind if my aspirn has some othre pills mixed in!

    • L'Style on June 12, 2012 at 8:29 am

    You see this whenever this is a shortage or high demand like for otherwise worthless Authentic Jordan Shoes just because he says authentic, for instance!

    • loopy sales on June 19, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    Ensure that you update this once more soon.. to tell when it will be back on the shelves and what is going on please.

    • Sandra on July 16, 2012 at 10:56 pm

    this is the first I’ve heard of this. Just buy the store brand. It’s the same thing — acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine. I haven’t had any problem getting store brand.

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