What was recalled

Par Health is voluntarily recalling two lots of a hospital anesthetic because vials were found to contain particulate matter identified as cellulose. The company announcement is dated October 8, 2026, and the FDA published it on October 9.

The product is Brevital Sodium 500 mg/vial CIV, methohexital sodium for injection, USP. It is an ultra-short-acting barbiturate anesthetic used mainly for induction of anesthesia and procedural sedation, given by intravenous infusion in adults or intramuscular induction in children.

The recall runs to hospital level, which identifies who has to act: wholesalers and hospital pharmacies.

What the particulate matter could do

The notice is direct about the risk. Administering a vial containing the particulate matter has a reasonable probability of causing life-threatening consequences, including pulmonary emboli, occlusion of other blood vessels that can lead to tissue death and possible organ damage, and inflammation of vein walls that may lead to clotting.

To date, Par Health says it has received no reports of adverse events related to this recall.

Which lots to check

The notice identifies two lots, 86930 and 88623, under item code 42023-105-01, with expiration dates listed as February 2028 and April 2028. The label images published with the announcement show the lot numbers on the vials.

The lots were distributed nationwide to wholesalers between July 8, 2025 and May 11, 2026. That window is long enough that affected vials can sit in several layers of distribution rather than in one recent shipment.

Two unmarked concept vials above separate large identifier cards 86930 and 88623 under CHECK INVENTORY.
The notice names lots 86930 and 88623. The cards explain the inventory check; these are not actual vial labels.

What pharmacies and wholesalers must do

Par Health is sending written notification to wholesale accounts that received the affected lots and arranging the return of all existing inventory of the two lots through Inmar, Inc.

Wholesale distributors and hospital pharmacies holding the product should stop using and distributing it immediately. If they have passed it on, the notice says they should notify their accounts or any other locations that may have received it.

The company is conducting the recall with the knowledge of the FDA. The FDA page carries the announcement as a public service, and the agency states that posting it is not an endorsement of the product or the company.

Contacts and reporting

Recall questions go to Inmar, Inc. at 1-844-774-1187, Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, or by email to [email protected].

Medical or technical questions, product complaints and adverse event reports go to 1-800-828-9393, Monday to Thursday between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET and Friday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET.

Adverse reactions or quality problems can also be reported to the FDA through its MedWatch program, online, by mail or by fax.

Why no recall class appears yet

The absence of a classification on the page is normal at this stage rather than a sign that the recall is minor. The FDA explains that its public notices come from press releases and other notices, that posting is separate from the agency's classification process, and that the weekly Enforcement Report also lists recalls that are pending classification.

The agency also states that it publishes notices for recalls that may present a significant or serious risk, and that not every recall has a press release or appears on the list. For a pharmacy team tracking the case, the Enforcement Report is where the classification will eventually show up.

What the notice does not say

The announcement does not say how many vials are affected, how many accounts received them, or whether the cellulose has been traced to a specific manufacturing step. It also does not describe what testing found beyond identifying the material.

No replacement supply or return timeline is given, and no recall classification appears on the page.

For a hospital pharmacy, the practical work is familiar: check both lot numbers against stock and receiving records back to mid-2025, quarantine anything that matches, and follow the return instructions rather than waiting for a second notice. The distribution window is the detail most likely to surprise a team that assumes only recent deliveries need checking.