Drug company could be partially at fault for hepatitis C outbreak
Although the CDC and Nevada have seemingly closed the case on the largest healthcare facility associated hepatitis C outbreak that was linked to the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, that doesn’t mean it’s closed in the courtroom.
The Las Vegas Sun reported on Monday that the Las Vegas facility may not be the only party to blame. Attorneys representing patients of the endoscopy center say a sworn deposition from an executive of the drug company that makes propofol – the drug that was administered to patients – could prove that company is partially to blame.
Craig Lea, the marketing vice-president at Teva Parenteral Medicines in Irvine, CA said in the deposition that a version of the drug made for veterinarian purposes has clearer instructions than the version used for humans, according to the Sun.
Rapinovet, used for cats and dogs, had a label that indicated the entire contents of the vial should be drawn into a syringe. The propofol vial had no such label.
The hepatitis C outbreak was traced back to the center because staff members had used single-dose vials on multiple patients.
Attorneys told the Sun that clinic staff members were encouraged to used larger 50-milliliter vials for multiple patients. Typically only 10-milliliters is needed for each endoscopy patient. At one time Teva made 10-milliliter vials specifically for endoscopy centers, which would avoid the opportunity for reusing single dose vials. However the company discontinued that size, making 20-milliliter vials their smallest available size. Lawyers are questioning why the endoscopy center was even sold 50-milliliter vials in the first place if that quantity was inappropriate for that type of facility.
“It’s a shared responsibility,” plaintiffs’ attorney Will Kemp told the Sun. “If Teva hadn’t shared the 50-milliliter vials with the Endoscopy Center, the temptation wouldn’t have been there to reuse the vials.”
For more information on safe-injection practices and single-use vials, download the “CDC FAQ on Safe Injection Practices,” on the Tools page.
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Comments
This is an example of Staff who knew better trying to get of being responsible. I have been a nurse for 30 years. We take an oath to first do no harm. This situation occured because people knowingly and willfully DID WRONG.
They are responsible and need to be held accountable!
Teva’s management knew that 50 ml vials would NOT be used on a single patient – unless it was Michael Jackson! Their plan was to sell as much of the propofol as possible, even if it meant using a single-use vial on multiple patients. Teva should also be held accountable. They should be required to take all vials larger than 10 ml off of the market!
Propofol is used in more than one setting and in cases where more than a single 10ml vial is needed. It is the responsibility of the healthcare providers and the centers that employ them to set and follow best practice policies – single use means single use.
Anyone administering Propofol should be a professional, licensed person and should know better regardless of what is printed on the vial. If they did not know they were using wrong techniques they should not have been there.
This problem is a systems failure. There are many areas needing to be addressed. Policy (at every level), environment, people, equipment. The sharp end is where we found the problem but the dull end had many problems.
The fact that the drug company should be held accountable is absolutly ridiculous.
Any nurse that would be giving propofol should know not to reenter a vial with a dirty syringe. I’m assuming that this is what happened. There should be nothing wrong with having a 50 ml vial and using it on multiple patients if proper technique is used. We are all worried about health care costs and waste. Buying in larger quantity is always more cost effective. Now we are being told many items are single use, and you must waste what is remaining. It is no wonder health care costs are sky rocketing. If you don’t know how to draw from a large vial without contaminating, you definitely should not have a license.
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