The Not so Short Story of “Johnson &Johnson” and the Fake “Tylenol”

The Not so Short Story of “Johnson &Johnson” and the Fake “Tylenol”

Oral presentation

Neda Buchvarova
Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Sofia

Introduction: “Historia vitae magistra” – “History is life’s teacher”, and the history of mankind could be traced back as the history of pharmacy. This ancient art has appeared parallel to the occurrence of our first civilizations, and possibly even before that. As humans evolved, they became more intelligent; they were able to change their perception of the world around them. Naturally, these achievements led to extraordinary human inventions, as well as to the development of Science. Our continuing progress is commonly based on the trial-error method, and often the most colossal mistakes have showed the way to our greatest achievements. Purpose: Research the history of the company “Johnson & Johnson”, which is related to cases of death, caused by the use of Tylenol. Method: Documental analysis. Results: “Johnson & Johnson” – one of the biggest pharmaceutical giants on the market, which has never ceased to amaze with its innovative technologies – was created in New Jersey, USA, back in 1886 by Robert, James and Edward Johnson. Nearly a decade after, on 29th September 1982, an unthinkable event occurs. In the city of Chicago and its close surroundings, a total of seven people are found dead after the use of Tylenol, manufactured by “J&J”. The pills contained the poisonous Potassium cyanide. After the tragedy, the company had to face the challenge to clear its reputation, as well as to win back the trust of its clients. Indeed, “J&J” found the way to do this, both thanks to its brilliant business management and the persistent cooperation with the media. In conclusion, FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and “J&J” created a triple protection against infringement, which continues to be used even today. This serves to show how important it is to perceive history and its mistakes as a mean to learn more and become wiser.