Use of pharmaceutical labels can help mitigate the spread of bacteria

It cannot be stated enough how important accurate medical labels are in the production and transportation of goods meant for use in care facilities. Tainted equipment and supplies can start a massive national scare, or worse, lead to the spreading of diseases among highly vulnerable populations.

In light of a series of bacterial infections that broke out in local hospitals, a Texas-based pharmaceutical company called Specialty Compounding has issued a recall of all its “sterile medication” products, according to a release from the FDA. The case is particularly of interest as the supplier has distributed medications not just to practices in-state but all around the country, and the company is taking pains to contact affected centers and recover all medications released after May 9 of this year.

The release describes the possible source of the infections as “IV infusions of calcium gluconate” administered to patients in two Corpus Christi Medical Center locations. It also features a statement from Specialty Compounding’s Resident Pharmacist, Ray Solano.

“Because of the potential association between the hospital-based infections and sterile compounded medications produced by Specialty Compounding, we are voluntarily recalling all sterile products out of an abundance of caution,” he said. “We deeply regret the impact this recall has on our patients and the hospitals that we serve, but patient safety must always be our first concern.”

To prevent actions like this from becoming necessary, a producer of mass goods can focus on producing reliable pharmaceutical labels to limit the amount of risk that businesses expose themselves and others to through these actions.