Q2 Recalls Snapshot: Recall Events Rise 31% While Recalled Units Slide

Medical device recalls initiated in the second quarter of 2020 mushroomed 31% from the previous quarter, marking the largest number of corrections and removals in a quarter in two years. There were 341 recalls in Q2, compared to 260 in Q1. “While the average recall size was lower than the previous quarter, this level of recall activity puts the industry on track to experience about 1,200 recalls by year end,” consulting firm Stericycle says in its most recent recalls index. “This annual activity would represent a 35% increase over last year. And it’s worth noting that this activity does not include unofficial recalls of face masks and other personal protection equipment handled at the state level.”

Meanwhile, industry recalled 29,405,138 device units in Q2, a 92% decrease from Q1, when 355.1 million units were pulled from...