Federal regulators reached an agreement on Thursday with a unit of Johnson & Johnson that would impose greater federal oversight at three manufacturing plants responsible for recalls of children's Tylenol and many other popular over-the-counter medicines.

The regulators say that the manufacturing practices failed to comply with federal law.

The proposed consent decree with the Food and Drug Administration stems from recurring problems for over a year with products made by Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Healthcare division at sites in Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico. Lawmakers and regulators have repeatedly criticized the company for its inability to manage production at these plants.

“We've had a long engagement with McNeil over the last year with regard to their quality system,” Douglas Stearn, an F.D.A. official who helps oversee compliance by drug makers, said in an interview on Thursday. “We think this represents necessary important steps to assuring quality across the board.”

Under the agreement, which needs approval from a federal judge, Johnson & Johnson would be required to hire an independent expert to determine whether operations at all three plants met federal standards and to ensure that quality systems were in place.

Read the complete New York Times story, “U.S. Regulators and J.&J. Unit Reach a Deal on Plant Oversight.”