http://www.wbir.com/news/article/238670/2/Meningitis-outbreak-Fungus-could-affect-eye-heart-patients
From the article:
Cutting costs
Compounding laboratories convert Avastin — one of the drugs suspected in infections — into single-dose eye injections as a cost-saving measure. It is a close chemical cousin to Lucentis, the drug approved by the FDA for macular degeneration.
Lucentis costs about $2,000 for a single-dose vial. Avastin costs about $50 a dose
So according to this article… giving a drug that is “close enough” is apparently “good enough” when the system is saving a chunk of money or the provider makes a chunk of money.. is this the new paradigm of helping patients manage their healthcare?
From the article:
At least one Tennessee lawmaker, Rep. Glen Casada, R-Thompson’s Station, wants to talk about more state oversight, and the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy also plans to scrutinize the rules for how compounding labs operate in this state and look for ways to better protect the public.
These contaminated injectables came from OUTSIDE of the state… what good does it do to change/modify the rules on how compounding pharmacies operate IN THE STATE? Is the BOP going to dramatically raise the fees charged to all pharmacies/Pharmacists in TN… to provide the funding to have TN pharmacy investigators travel the country to inspect compounding pharmacies in other states … that have mail order licensing in TN?
Filed under: General Problems
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