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THINKING OF BUYING ...
Sheldon S. Sones, RPh, FASCP
Prepared Pharmaceuticals
The fungal meningitis outbreak has raised safety concerns.
T
he fungal
meningitis outbreak caused
by contaminated
steroid products from
the New England
Compounding Center
(see "The Latest on the
SAFETY CONCERN The nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak caused by contaminated steroids has many questioning compounding services and pre-loaded drugs.
Deadly Meningitis Outbreak" on page 10) has left facilities nationwide
questioning the compounding services and pre-loaded drugs that play
key roles in their patient care. As a pharmacy consultant, I'd advise
them to stay the course, but to prepare for safety. Here's how.
• Should we reconsider our use of compounding pharmacies? I've heard
this question a lot lately. Although your immediate response may be
to abandon compounded drugs entirely, that emotional reaction fails
to acknowledge the long and admirable track record of compounding
pharmacists — including cutting-edge corporations and hospital
pharmacy departments — that meet or exceed quality and safety
standards. These services ably fill surgical facilities' needs at a time
when drug shortages and a lack of customized products would otherwise leave them at a severe disadvantage. One bad apple shouldn't
give the entire compounding industry a bad name. Major well-known
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | N O V E M B E R 2012
