Shards could develop in vials of Epogen and Procrit, say drug makers
Article Source: msnbc.com
from:msnbc.comAnemia drugs recalled over glass flakes
Seeded on Fri Sep 24, 2010 3:20 PM EDT (msnbc.com)
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Leave a Comment:
I wonder why as a patient I haven't heard anything about this from my pharmacy? I need to take this medication 3 times a month, I certainly don't want to have a problem with the medication.
I was taking a heart drug that was recalled. I remember getting sick for about a week until I got a new batch of the medication. It was from the famous retailer that everyone seems to love to hate as they are completely anti-union. The pharmacy has a computer system, the drug lot is supposed to be in the system but I never got a telephone call from the pharmacy. I think I found out about the recall from reading the Wall Street Journal.
great...glass flakes.. just what a seriously ill person needs to contend with..
The only link provided is to a damn coupon for a different drug. I need a link to this recall or more information. My husband is a dialysis patient and takes this. I guess I'll have to research it myself. For such a serious recall, shouldn't there be links or code numbers??? good grief!!!
Here's a link for the affected lot numbers.
http://www.amgen.com/media/media_pr_detail.jsp?releaseID=1474613
A story of the drug manufacturer being pre emptive with a voluntary recall----THis leaves the brunt of law suits for pharmacies, doctors, hospitals, etc to contend with.
If I were them I'd start removing the drugs NOW and post it. I'd also have the patient checking the lot numbers just to ensure the wrong drugs were not used.
I believe that by assissting the patient to be proactive in treatment we could reduce the need for law suits.
good points. we have heard nothing. had it not been for this article, we would not know any better. i did email the information / links to my husband's home hemodialysis nurse since we do the treatments ourselves in our home and Praying that other patients are notified in time. since we have not been notified of anything, i must assume that no one else has been, either. you are correct - patients must be proactive and be their own advocates. as it turns out, my husband's epogen was on the recall list. i can only Thank GOD that we caught it.
And so it goes. Big Pharma with yet another of its money making drugs to be recalled. Yet Big Pharma wants to ban alternative medicine in the form of herbs and supplements. Apparently, the herbs and supplements interfere with the money making Big Pharma drugs.
I wouldn't be nearly as concerned about the timing, motivation, manner, or method of the recall in this case as I would be about ingesting a substance that reacts with a GLASS VIAL and causes flakes to form. As far as I know even battery acid doesn't eat up a glass container. :(
Defective vials perhaps? See my comment below.
A lot is missing from this story; if nobody was hurt, how did they discover the problem? If these glass flakes get into a patient, how long can it take for a problem to develop? Is there a cure for glass flakes in your system, or is the damage permanent?
Wow J&J seems not to be able to do much quality control lately. I have lost all faith in the brand as a whole.
Wow from contaminated heparing and pills with metal flakes from China to contaminated anemia drugs from Peurto Rico. I wonder if the vials were made in China. That is one reason I wont take any drugs, no telling where they came from or how well they are monitored. Thank god I am healthy.
According to nursing literature Epogen can be drawn up using a filter needle. This should filter out the glass but there should not be glass flakes in the solution to begin with.