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Q4 Recalls Snapshot: Fewer Devices Recalled By Industry, But Software Troubles Still Abound

 
• By Shawn M. Schmitt

Problems with software were the No. 1 reason for medical device recalls in the fourth quarter of 2020. Also: Recalls fell by a modest 3%, but the number of recalled device units mushroomed 158%. Check out our Q4 recalls infographic.

Q4 Device Recalls

The number of product recalls initiated by manufacturers fell slightly in the fourth quarter of 2020 – but there was an increase in the count of recalled device units. There were 235 corrections and removals in Q4, compared to 242 in Q3 – a modest 3% decrease. Meanwhile, industry recalled 59,314,216 units in Q4, a 158% increase from Q3, when 22,951,964 units were pulled from the market. In its State of the Nation 2021 recalls index, business solutions company Sedgwick points out that industry is still having troubles with software, as it’s once again the top recall cause – as it has been for 18 of the past 19 quarters.

Nancy Pham / Informa Pharma Intelligence

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