• Decrease font size
  • Return font size to normal
  • Increase font size
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

For Consumers

  • Print
  • Share
  • E-mail

Your Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA 

For more videos, visit the FDA's YouTube Channel.

Please share copies of this
printer-friendly PDF (366 KB)

PDFCover Image - Your Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA. Click on the image to view the PDF

Red envelope icon for Govdelivery Get Consumer Updates by E-mail

RSS feed orange symbol Consumer Updates RSS Feed

En Español

On this page:

Consumers play an important public health role by reporting to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) any adverse events (unexpected side effects) after using a medical product, or other problems with any products that the agency regulates. Timely reporting allows the agency to take prompt action. There are a number of ways you can report problems to the agency, depending on the type of problem and product. The following tips and chart will help you make your report.

 

Tips for Reporting

1. Report what happened as soon as possible after you discover a problem. Be prepared with the following information:

  • names, addresses, and phone numbers of people affected
  • your name, postal and e-mail address, and phone number
  • name, address, and phone number of doctor or hospital if emergency treatment was provided
  • product codes or identifying marks on the label or container
  • name and address of store where product was bought and date of purchase
  • name and address of company on the product label

2. Do not discard the product packaging and labeling. They provide codes, numbers, and dates that will help FDA trace the product back to the plant.

3. In addition to reporting to FDA, the agency recommends reporting the problem to the manufacturer and to the store where the product was purchased.

4. When in doubt about how to report a problem, call your local FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator.

back to top

 

Quick-Reference Chart for Reporting Problems to FDA

Type of Problem
Type of Product
Report to
  • emergency (serious, life-threatening event)
  • FDA-regulated products (human drugs, animal drugs, medical devices, biological products, foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, radiation-emitting electronic products)
  • FDA's 24-hour emergency line at either 1-866-300-4374 or 301-796-8240
  • FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in your geographic area.
  • Also contact your health care professional for medical advice.
  • serious adverse event (side effect)
  • product quality problem (such as a medication having a suspicious odor)
  • product use error (such as mixing up products with similar drug names or packaging)

human health care products:

    human drugs
  • medical devices
  • blood products and other biologics (except vaccines)
  • dietary supplements
  • infant formulas
  • medical foods such as nutritional supplements
  • food-related non-emergency (such as allergic reaction to a product with no allergens listed in ingredients; a non-life-threatening foodborne illness)
  • food products (except meat, poultry, and frozen, dried and liquid eggs)
  • illness or injury related to a vaccine
  • human vaccines
  • blood transfusion-related fatality
  • blood products
  • clinical trials complaint
  • clinical trials
  • cosmetic problem
    novelty makeup
  • face paint
  • other cosmetics
  • product sold online (such as product you suspect is being illegally sold or promoted on Web)
  • FDA-regulated products sold online (human drugs, animal drugs, medical devices, biological products, foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, radiation-emitting electronic products)
  • animal food problem
  • pet food
  • animal feed
  • animal drug or device problem
  • veterinary drugs or devices
  • FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine at 1-888-FDA-VETS (1-888-332-8387) or at CVM.

back to top

 

Types of Problems FDA Doesn't Handle

Contact the agencies listed to report or complain about the following problem areas. See your local phone directory for phone numbers not provided here.

  • restaurant food and sanitation—local or state health departments (check blue pages of your local phone book or find your state health department at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/international/relres.html)
  • unsolicited products in the mail—U.S. Postal Service at www.usps.gov
  • accidental poisonings—Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 or local hospital
  • pesticides or air and water pollution—U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at www.epa.gov/tips/
  • hazardous household products (including toys, appliances, and chemicals)—U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission hotline at 1-800-638-2772 or see www.cpsc.gov/talk.html
  • alcoholic beverages—Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at www.atf.gov/contact/hotlines.htm
  • drug abuse and controlled substances—U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration at www.usdoj.gov/dea/contactinfo.htm
  • hazardous chemicals in the workplace—U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration at www.osha.gov/html/Feed_Back.html
  • warranties—Federal Trade Commission helpline at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or TTY 1-866-653-4261 or see www.ftc.gov/ftc/contact.shtm
  • dispensing and sales practices of pharmacies—state board of pharmacy (available at National Association of Boards of Pharmacy at www.nabp.net)
  • medical practice—state certification board (check blue pages of your local phone book)

back to top 

This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products. 

Updated: October 2010