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THAT DIDN'T GET OFF TO THE
A DEADLY MENINGITIS
OUTBREAK HAS REACHED 105
CASES...NOW U-S SENATOR, ***
BLUMENTHAL IS CALLING FOR
ACTION.
THAT OUTBREAK HAS KILLED
EIGHT PEOPLE. AND OFFICIALS
HAVE LINKED IT TO A STEROID
FOR BACK PAIN, PRODUCED BY A
PHARMACY IN MASSACHUSETTS.NOW
SENATOR BLUMENTHAL IS CALLING
FOR STRONGER GOVERNMENT
OVERSIGHT OF THOSE SO CALLED
"COMPOUNDING PHARMACIES. NEWS
8'S JAMIE MURO JOINS US LIVE
TONIGHT FROM OUR HARTFORD
NEWSROOM WITH DETAILS.THE
PHARMACY HAS SHUT DOWN
OPERATIONS - IN THE MEANTIME,
SENATOR BLUMETHAL HAS SENT
THIS LETTER TO COMMISSIONER OF
THE F-D-A, ASKING FOR STRICTER
ENFORCEMENT OF THESE
FACILITIES.SENATOR RICHARD
BLUMENTHAL/(D) CT :09-:19MIKE
RUBINO/DIR. OF PHARMACY
SERVICES HARTFORD HOSPITAL
:55-1:05
THE NUMBERS ARE SCARY -
13-THOUSAND PEOPLE MAY HAVE
BEEN EXPOSED TO A CONTAMINATED
EDPIDURAL STEROID CONNECTED TO
A RARE STRAIN OF FUNGAL
MENINGITIS - EIGHT ARE DEAD.
(13:06:05 - THE REASON FOR
THESE DEATHS AND INJURIES VERY
SIMPLY IS LACK OF PROPER FDA
OVERSIGHT AND SCRUITNY.)
STANDING IN FRONT OF HARTFORD
HOSPITAL, CONNECTICUT SENATOR
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL WANTS MORE
GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT TO HOW
THESE DRUGS ARE PRODUCED BY
WHAT ARE KNOWN AS "COMPOUNDING
PHARMACIES." IN SHORT,
COMPANIES THAT MAKE VERY
SPECIFIC DRUGS FOR A
PARTICULAR PATIENT - DRUGS
THAT MAY NOT BE COMMERCIALLY
AVAILABLE. (13:12:28 - THE
FDA FAILED IN EFFECTIVE
ENFORCEMENT IN THIS INSTANCE.
BUT THE COMPOUNDING PHARAMCIES
FALL IN A LEGAL NETHERWORLD,
THAT MAY BE BEYOND THE FDA'S
EXISTING AUTHORITY - ALTHOUG
HIT SAYS IT HAS AUTHORITY IN
THIS AREA.)(13:10:51 - THE
TYPE OF REGUATION IS NOT WHAT
IT SHOULD BE, ANY LEGISLATION
THAT WILL ASSIST MAKING IT
SAFER FOR OUR PATIENTS IS
DEFINITELY NEEDED.)THE
STEROIDS IN QUESTION WERE MADE
BY A COMPOUNDING PHARMACY IN
MASSACHUSETTES AND SOME WERE
SHIPPED TO CONNECTICUT,
ALTHOUGH NOT HERE AT HARTFORD
HOSPITAL. BECAUSE THE DRUGS
ARE MADE WITH A VALID
PRESCRIPTION, SENATOR
BLUMENTHAL SAYS THERE HAS
BEEN MUCH LESS FEDERAL
REGULATION.(13:15:18 - THE
GROWTH OF THESE BUSINESSES,
COMPOUNDING PHARAMCIES OR
COMPOUNDING CENTERS, TO THE
SIZE THEY ARE NOW, IS A
RELATIVELY RECENT DEVELOPMENT.
IT MAY BE A RESPONSE TO DRUG
SHORTAGES.)
IT MAY BE A RESPONSE TO DRUG
AGAIN, WHILE THE DRUGS WERE
SHIPPED HERE, THERE HAVE BEEN
NO CONFIRMED CASES IN
CONNECTICUT.WE'RE LIVE IN THE
HARTFORD NEWSROOM, JAMIE MURO,
NEWS 8.