FDA orders Zantac drug to be recalled immediately

The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Wednesday ordered the heartburn medication Zantac be recalled immediately after finding a contamination problem in the products.

This determination applies to all versions of the ranitidine brand that can be purchased by prescription and over-the-counter. Medications are used to treat stomach acid and ulcers.

Patients should stop taking any of the medications they currently have and discard them, the FDA said.

Last year the federal agency had indicated that patients could continue taking the medications and that they were facing no health risks from contamination with a cancer-causing chemical found in various brands.

However, many companies chose not to sell the product.

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