Toxic Heparin Exposes Drug Safety Issues
In an op-ed piece in today’s issue of the News & Observer, pharmacist David Work writes that the recent illnesses and deaths linked to contaminated heparin exposes weaknesses in the drug manufacturing process in the United States.
Work, a retired executive director of the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy, notes that in today’s global economy, the Food and Drug Administration has neither the funds nor support to ensure that the nation’s prescription drug supply is safe.
The deficiencies were laid bare recently after more than 81 deaths in the U.S. were linked to heparin marketed by Baxter. According to the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control, some Chinese suppliers substituted chondroitin sulfate for the much more expensive ingredient found in pig intestines.
The choice was between raw material at $900 a pound for good quality, compared with $9 a pound for the ingredient actually used.One would expect that any reasonably competent purchasing agent would be suspicious of a competitive bid at 1 percent of another supplier’s charge.
Under the current drug safety system, the FDA is forced to put “complete faith in the integrity and ethics of drug companies.” That system is putting people in danger. Instead, Work believes that Congress and the next presidential administration should make funding the FDA a priority.
With more money, the agency might be able to reassert its historical role as a watchdog over the pharmaceutical industry.
If you have a loved one who has been injured or died after receiving heparin, contact Carey & Danis. We can help. Carey & Danis is a national law firm that represents personal injury victims and their families.
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