When a product is recalled, what is the first step to ensure patient safety?

When a product is recalled, ensuring patient safety is of utmost importance, and the first step in this process is to cease distribution immediately. This action prevents any further delivery or use of the recalled product, thereby reducing the risk of harm to patients. By halting distribution, healthcare providers can manage inventory and prevent any additional products from reaching patients or users.

This step is crucial as it allows for a quick response to a potential threat posed by the product, ensuring that any risks associated with its use are mitigated before they can affect patient safety. While alerting patients, documenting the recall, and destroying the product are also important parts of handling a recall, they follow the immediate action of ceasing distribution to effectively protect patients from the compromised item.