FDA May Get Authority Over Compounding Pharmacies

(Memphis) Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now say there are 24 reported cases associated with suspect steroid injections made and shipped from Main Street Family Pharmacy in Dyer County.

Thats up from 20 last week. The agency updated a page on its website late Monday that keeps track of whats now being called an outbreak.

More than a week ago, information surfaced that revealed Main Street had shipped possibly tainted steroid injections to medical facilities in several states. The pharmacy has since voluntarily recalled more than 300 products.

History of Problems for Main Street

As federal and state health authorities search for the source of the problem, theres a national push for more regulation over compounding pharmacies.

So what does that mean for the average consumer and their safety?

It may sound fancy, but compounding pharmacies have been around for hundreds of years.

Youre taking multiple ingredients and combining that into a product for the patient, explains Brett Wright, who runs Benevere Pharmacy in Collierville.

Think of the days when your grandma got sick. There werent always pain medicines on shelf, so the pharmacist created something. Fast forward to today, and places like that still exist.

Theres not a one size fits all, so all medications dont fit all the needs of patients, adds Wright. Like other compounding pharmacies, pharmacists at Benevere can mix up drugs to create something patient specific.

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FDA May Get Authority Over Compounding Pharmacies