State Health Inspectors Release Report on NECC Noncompliance

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has releases preliminary findings from its investigation into the New England Compounding Center, which is at the center of a fungal meningitis outbreak that has killed nearly two dozen individuals so far.

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The investigation, which was initiated Sept. 26, reveals a number of shocking and serious safety deficiencies. They include:

•    NECC distributed large batches of compounded sterile products directly to facilities apparently for general use rather than requiring a prescription for patients.
•    Two different shipments of methylprednisolone acetate were delivered to providers before the NECC received final sterility test results in June and August.
•    NECC failed to properly autoclave products to ensure product sterility.
•    NECC failed to test their autoclaves to ensure proper function.
•    Visible black particulate matter was found in several recalled vials of methylprednisolone acetate.
•    Tacky mats, used to trap debris from shoes prior to clean room entry, were visibly soiled.
•    A leaking boiler next to the clean room created a pool of water. Culture results from this pool are pending.

The health department’s investigation is ongoing. The NECC, which is subject to regulatory sanctions, permanently lost its license.

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