posting on the ASC Association's community message board:
Does anyone use a compounding pharmacy (503B) to supply tri-
amcinolone 40mg or 60mg per ml - preservative free? My current
503B is no longer providing it.
Ms. Moylan was excited when a facility manager recommended the
compounding pharmacy she used. But when Ms. Moylan did some
digging, she discovered some skeletons in the potential new partner's
closet: The pharmacy produced 3 drugs that had been involved in
nationwide recalls for sterility issues.
"Any recall of any sort is a red flag," says Ms. Moylan. "I didn't want
to use that compounder."
Her experience leads to the first and most important piece of advice
when searching for a new drug compounder: Do your research to
make sure the pharmacy has a proven track record of safety and a
clean reputation, and ask these key questions before taking the
plunge.
1. Is it a 503B?
The spotlight has shone brightly on compounding pharmacies since
the 2012 New England Com-pounding Center disaster. The compound-
ing pharmacy in suburban Boston produced and distributed mold-
tainted vials of an injectable steroid used to treat back and joint pain.
The steroids sparked a widespread meningitis outbreak that killed 64
patients and sickened more than 750 others.
It was an alarming and eye-opening tragedy that completely changed
the way facility leaders looked at their drug suppliers and (hopefully)
has you confirming the drugs you receive are safe instead of assuming
that they are.
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