Impact of Drug Recalls on Patients in The Netherlands: A 5-Year Retrospective Data Analysis

Drug recalls occur frequently and have the potential to impact considerable numbers of patients and healthcare providers. However, in the absence of a comprehensive overview the extent of conducted recalls and their impact on patients remains unknown. To address this, we developed a comprehensive overview of drug recalls affecting patients. We compiled this overview based on the drug recall registrations from the Jeroen Bosch Hospital (JBZ), the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), and the Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association (KNMP). A retrospective data analysis was conducted to identify drug recalls that affected patients. Specifically, we defined these as drug recalls that required patients to actively switch their drug to a different batch or brand of the same drug or to switch to a drug within the same or a different class of drugs. To quantify the impact, we used real-world drug dispensing data. Between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2021, we identified 48 drug recalls that necessitated patients to make active changes to their medications an estimated 855,000 times. Most of the affected patients (292,000) were required to switch to a different brand of the same drug, whereas in 95,000 cases patients had to switch to a drug from another drug class. Our study suggests that a significant number of patients are affected by drug recalls. Future efforts are needed to elucidate patients’ experiences and preferences regarding drug recalls, which could provide valuable insights to aid decision-making by relevant (national) authorities concerning drug recalls.