CDC says Oregon deaths from toxic drug underscores problems

[Guest guest]

I'm sorry that 3 people died from a lethal dose of medication, but

that is not a reason to condemn all compounding pharmacies. Where is

the CDC report on " regulated " pharmacies results of patients either

becoming extremely ill or dying because of medication. Not to

mention how many times the hospitals, doctors, clinics etc.,

prescribe wrong medications, can't read the doctors handwriting and

administer the wrong medication.

When will the CDC put out a report on how many people they have

killed as a result of denying illnesses! Up till now no one has been

regulating them.

CDC says Oregon deaths from toxic drug underscores problems

Houston Chronicle

By SARAH SKIDMORE Associated Press Writer

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5207484.html

PORTLAND, Ore. — The deaths of three people who were given toxic

doses of a drug at an Oregon clinic highlight the potential for

fatal errors by compounding pharmacies, according to a report

released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control.

This spring, Texas compounding pharmacy ApotheCure Inc. erroneously

made a drug 10 times more potent than intended because of a weighing

error. The drug, colchicine, was sent to the Center for Integrative

Medicine in Portland and was administered for the treatment of back

pain, which lead to the death of three people.

The center has since closed and the pharmacy is barred from doing

business in Oregon.

The report from the CDC, which reviews cases of this sort, said the

case underscores the larger " potentially fatal ramifications " of

errors by compounding pharmacies.

Compounding pharmacies make specially tailored drugs and are not

subject to the same oversight as traditional pharmaceutical

manufactures. ApotheCure did not return calls for comment on

Thursday.

" This is an area in the medical business that is not regulated, or

poorly regulated, that probably needs a bit more scrutiny, " said Dr.

Zane Horowitz, medical director of the Oregon Poison Center.

Under scrutiny too is the use of colchicine for back pain.

The report states that use of it for treatment of back pain was

initially described in the 1970s. The drug was typically used for

the treatment of gout and is not commonly used anymore. But it seems

to be outdated among many practitioners.

" I think we were all surprised when it happened, " said Anne Walsh,

executive director of the Oregon Board of Naturopathic Examiners. " I

don't think it's used because there's so many other options. "