Report: Meningitis Pharmacy Knew of Mold, Bacteria Issues
Federal health officials say the New England Compounding Center (NECC) – the pharmacy at the center of a fungal meningitis outbreak responsible for 25 deaths – knew bacteria and mold were growing in “clean rooms” where sterile drugs were manufactured but apparently failed to act on the knowledge. A report issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that the specialty pharmacy’s internal surveillance program found contamination with bacteria or mold in over 80 locations at its plant during the last nine months, and at levels above NECC’s own action limits, writes the Washington