Contaminated Medicines

Scientists and doctors are developing new medicines. These medicines, many of them developed from our knowledge of DNA and genetics, are providing wonderful cures for diseases that have plagued civilization for centuries. Before they are released to the public (at least in the USA and in many other countries), the medicines are tested on animals and then on people, although the tests on people are usually for short-term effects because the reproductive cycle of people is too long for scientists to test for long-term effects. Finally, medicines that survive the testing are approved by governmental agencies and are manufactured for public consumption.

Even though the medicines have been approved, the manufacturing of the medicines may not have gone through extensive testing.  This means that problems in the manufacturing processes may cause contamination of the medicines, and persons using the medicines and doctors proscribing the medicines may not know the medicines are contaminated. The results are that sickness and deaths may occur, and because the medicines are probably proscribed over a wide area of the earth, the potential exists for wide-spread sickness and deaths.

This page gives links to science reports related to the contamination of medicines.

On October 3, 2012, the pharmaceutical compounding center ceased all production and initiated recall of all methylprednisolone acetate (a steroid medication) and other drug products prepared for injections in and around the spinal cord (known as intrathecal administration). In addition, CDC and state health departments have released the names of approximately 75 healthcare facilities in 23 states that have received contaminated product.