J&J pays up for Pfizer consumer unit error

In 2006, Johnson and Johnson acquired a plant in Lititz, PA when it bought Pfizer's consumer health care division. Now federal lawmakers contend that the plant violated paperwork regulations for controlled substances in Pennsylvania during the preceding five years, from 2001 to 2005.

Pseudophedrine is the controlled substance under question, and authorities allege that Prizer's consumer unit imported Benadryl-D, which contains pseudophedrine, from Canada without officially notifying the US Drug Enforcement Agency under the Controlled Substances Act. The Act requires companies to provide written notification of importation of any controlled substances.

J&J settled the case; it will pay $511,000 to the federal government because of the error.

- check out the story at CNN Money
- read the Pharmalot blog post
- get more from the Wall Street Journal
- check out the US Department of Justice statement

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