E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSThe compounding pharmacy at the center of an ongoing outbreak of fungal meningitis and other infections says the cleaning company it hired is also at fault for unsanitary conditions linked to more than 650 infections and 39 deaths in the U.S.
The New England Compounding Center sent a letter Dec. 31 to UniFirst Corp., asking UniFirst officials to indemnify NECC against claims stemming from the compounding and sale of tainted steroid injection drugs, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“This demand relates to the limited, once-a-month cleaning services the Company provided to portions of NECC’s cleanroom facilities,” UniFirst, of Wilmington, Mass., explained in required filings.
“Based on its preliminary review of this matter, the Company believed that NECC’s claims are without merit.”
Federal health regulators found fungi in three lots of tainted steroids linked to infections and deaths and more fungi and bacteria in other drugs made by NECC.
In addition, Food and Drug Administration inspectors found evidence of contamination documented throughout the NECC facility and dating from January 2012 through September. In some cases, surfaces were overgrown with visible mold, inspectors said.
UniFirst provided services through its UniClean business as specified by NECC and using NECC’s own “defined cleansing solutions,” UniFirst spokesman Adam Soreff told NBC News in a statement. UniClean technicians cleaned approximately 1½ hours each month.
“UniClean was not in any way responsible for NECC’s day-to-day operations, its overall facility cleanliness, or the integrity of the products they produced,” Soreff said.
NECC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Dec. 21, with officials pledging to establish a fund for victims. NECC faces more than 400 lawsuits from patients who received epidural steroid injections later found to be contaminated with fungus linked to the serious and deadly infections. Some 14,000 people in 23 states received the injections before the problem was discovered in September.
Related stories:
Leave a Comment:
Of course, the pharmaceutical company screened the cleaning company, gave them the necessary briefings about sterile surfaces and supervised their work -- or not. It's still all on the pharmaceutical company.
This situation is symptomatic of our present political environment.
We have one person saying, "You did not build this by yourself", and another says "I did it all by myself" and yet when what was built begins to devolve they blame others for their ineptness, greed, stupidity, arrogance and shortsightedness.
We have situations where many of our states are devolving into political fiefdoms, run by political entities known and unknown demanding powers that they cannot and unable to handle. In this case this state was doing what should have been done by the FDA or the CDC.
But then we have situations where we have political ignoramuses who call the CDC FDA etc. big government and that these institutions serve no other purpose than to tax this nation.
Well here is just one tiny outcome of a big political problem. We will have more to endure if we continue to allow ourselves to be lead by these idiots of questionable breeding, intellect if not intelligence.
We will suffer even more while we sit on our lazy butts and allow our nation to devolve into chaos.
I'm looking into the political skies and all I can see are storm clouds, storm clouds that are harbinger of a steady demise. This present incident is just one drop of rain of a great flood to come.
Right on brother - we should get rid of the CDC and FDA and then give the money saved to someone in the top 1-2% so they have enough to create some jobs... they haven't created any jobs yet because they need more money.
Pass the buck much?
But officer... it was my car that ran into the pole, it wasn't my fault !
The attempt by NECC to blame the cleaning company is destined to be EPIC FAIL! It just shows you what kind of morons were running the place.
The real problem here is that this isn't an isolated incident. Having worked for an inventory company in the past, i have counted many pharmacies in stores like Walmart as well as pharmacies that supply these in store pharmacies. We had to count all pills over $3.00 each by hand..Pills would fall on the floor and guess what? They got picked up off of a floor I wouldn't even kneel on and put back in the bottle. People would sneeze on them, cough on them etc..These places get counted once per month.These pills are being handled constantly and gloves are no answer..We all wore gloves but people were constantly touching surfaces with the gloves on, then picking pills up off the floor. People are allowed to eat and drink in these facilities too..These places are disgusting, with filthy floors, dusty shelves and the like..My advice to anyone getting a script from ANY pharmacy, ask for your pills out of a brand new bottle, you will at least have half a chance of getting a sanitary pill..Maybe now, someone will do something about all these disgusting pharmacies...
If your company name is on the bottle, then you're responsible when something goes wrong - period!
What a bunch of bottom-feeding scum!
This is nuts. I work in semiconductor cleanrooms which are cleaned everyday. NECC was near a recycle yard and had exterior mould growing indoors. Mould growth was documented. NECC should have had the place cleaned more often and/or looked for the source of mould. Exserohilum rostratum grows on grass and plants so had to come from outdoors. NECC was having a token cleaning done - it was nothing like that which should be done in a sterile facilty - 1.5 hrs per month probably cost them about $100... These guys need to be sued for all they have and then sent to jail for criminal negligent manslaughter.
Grasping at straws. NECC is ultimately responsible.
eureka-the cleaners did it
Once a month cleaners for about 2 hours caused all of this? I don't think so. Definitely sounds like a lawyer talking and not an investigator of bacterial fungi.
Nice try..There but unless they are in Partnership and shared the PROFIT with said cleaning Co...The Pharmacorp is responsible for there product..Not there Maid....I just cant understand the total lack of responsibility people think they can pass off on other people..It's really a sick society..When Companies and individuals reap huge rewards make mega Money..But if something goes wrong..Bang..it's some one other than them that owns it...Kinda like our Banks..But they have help from our Government...Half of the CEO's of Wells BOA and CITI and Countrywide..AIG Leamans and whole host of other should be in JAIL..for fraud..Bank FRAUD...But they make huge money off of the misery of the average American so they are REWARDED and set free to do it all over again...Twisted stuff....and Americans just sit back and take it ..Yet once in while a group Like OWS comes along and tries to shine a TRUTHFUL light...and wham...They get shut down...IMAGINE THAT...Because Politicians don't want light shone in the dark places they get there Donations from.No No...Cant have that..It's the truth....So lets just pass on the responsibility....That's the AMERICAN THING TO DO...
i am not kidding when I say that most cleaning companies are illegals. I worked for drink botteling factory once and they hired african to clean the bathrooms and they would clean the tiolets, then the urinals then go directly to the hand washing sink and clean with the same brush, that is why you do not hire illegals because they have no concept of cleanliness