When you are prescribed medications or opt to use over-the-counter drugs, you expect that they are safe for consumption. Unfortunately, drug recalls are commonplace these days. While many drug recalls are for reasons that wouldn’t lead to actual consumer harm, there are others that can quickly turn deadly. It is imperative that anyone who takes medications of any sort keeps an eye out for recalls of the products they take.

There are many things that can make it difficult to keep track of what recalls impact you. Some more common medications, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, are manufactured by many companies. Recalls will usually only impact one manufacturer, so you’d have to know which company made the medication in order to know if you are affected by the recall.

Another issue that sometimes comes up is that recalls might come out after you’ve already consumed the drug. This can put you at risk of suffering from the impacts related to the recall. When this happens, you might require additional medical care that you wouldn’t have needed otherwise.

Finally, not all drug recalls are announced to the public, and many aren’t covered on FDA.gov. This makes it difficult for many people to find out whether they have medications that are recalled. In this case, directly contacting the manufacturer is one of the only ways to find out about the recall. Sometimes, pharmacies and other health care professionals might have information about recalls that aren’t public knowledge.

You might have the option of seeking compensation for the damages you suffer in a drug recall. This can help you to cover expenses for medical care and related costs.