Johnson & Johnson recalled their Duragesic Pain Patch in February 2008, due to problems with leaking. However, many patients do not even understand why this was a problem. Doesn't this drug touch the skin anyway? If you've been affected by the Duragesic Pain Patch recall, here's what you need to know about how transdermal patches work and why the Duragesic Pain Patches became dangerous.

A transdermal patch is used for a very controlled dosing of medication over time. These patches have a membrane through which the medication seeps, touching the skin. The medication (in this case, fentanyl) permeates the skin and enters the body. This is a continuous dosing of medicine, giving the patient better treatment options. It would be like continuously taking very small pills every few minutes.

The problem with a leak is that the amount of medication is then unregulated. In the case of the Duragesic Pain Patches, one of the seals on the patch membrane wasn't properly containing the medication. The fentanyl spilled out onto the patients' skin, under the adhesive where it was often not noticed. The membrane is set to regulate the dosing, so when fentanyl touches the skin without a membrane barrier, it is very easy to overdose.

Overdosing causes quite a few problems for patients using fentanyl. As a drug that is close to 100 times more powerful than morphine, the biggest problem is difficulty breathing. If left untreated, the overdosing causes a patient to slowly slip into a coma and die.

If you or a loved one has experienced the effects of the Duragesic Pain Patch malfunction, talk to a lawyer at Anapol Schwartz right away to find out more about your legal rights