McNeil Consumer Healthcare addresses acetaminophen concerns on Tylenol.com

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. In the wake of the news around acetaminophen last week, McNeil Consumer Healthcare posted a public letter at www.tylenol.com to explain the news to Tylenol users.

“Recently, there have been reports about acetaminophen, the medicine in Tylenol, and the potential for liver damage if the medicine is misused or taken in overdose amounts,” the letter, signed by Edwin Kuffner, senior medical director, medical affairs at McNeil, opened. “As the makers of Tylenol, we share the FDA’s goal of helping to ensure that over-the-counter and prescription medicines are used safely and properly,” he said. “[But] Tylenol, when taken as directed, remains the safest pain reliever people can take.”

The letter goes on to explain that it’s inappropriate use of acetaminophen products, when patients consume more than the recommended dosage, that is linked to increased liver damage risk.

That message was replicated last week with full-page ads in USAToday, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, among other papers.