The debacle over scopes not cleared by the FDA and the superbug story emerging out of California notwithstanding, medical devices appear to be safer than they have been in years.
A report from Stericycle Expert Solutions reveals that the fourth quarter saw less recalls in pharmaceuticals, medical devices and food than at any time since 2012. There were a total of 398 recalls representing a 23% decrease from the prior quarter.
In medical devices, there were 220 recalls, a drop of 26% from the previous quarter. While there were less recalls, more units were recalled in the fourth quarter of last year - in fact number of units recalled jumped 27% to 23.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2014.
And 60% of recalls affected the U.S. and at least one other country. One company was responsible for 14 recall events in the fourth quarter, but the report did not identify the company. A spokeswoman declined to identify the company citing Stericycle's policy.
Here's an infographic with the above data:
