HEALTH NEWS -

 

FDA uncovers Unsanitary Conditions at Compound Pharmacies

 

 

 

CBC: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has uncovered potential safety problems at 30 specialty pharmacies that were inspected in the wake of a recent outbreak of meningitis caused by contaminated drugs. The agency said its inspectors targeted 31 compounding pharmacies that produce sterile drugs, which must be prepared under highly sanitary conditions, such as:

 

• Rust and mold in supposedly sterile rooms.
• Inadequate ventilation.
• Employees wearing non-sterile lab coats.

Compounding pharmacies are supposed to mix customized prescriptions based on individual doctors' instructions. However, some pharmacies like the New England Compounding Center have grown into larger businesses, supplying bulk quantities of injectable drugs to hospitals across the country.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2013/04/12/compounding-pharmacy.html

Washington Post: The wave of inspections comes in response to a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak linked to contaminated steroids from the New England Compounding Center, a Massachusetts pharmacy. The company’s injections, mainly used to treat back pain, have been linked to 53 deaths and 733 illnesses since last summer.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/fda-inspectors-find-troubling-sterility-problems-at-30-compounding-pharmacies-across-the-us/2013/04/12/8a195338-a37b-11e2-bd52-614156372695_story.html