ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania pain doctor says he's pulled all drugs shipped by a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy after a steroid produced by the company was linked to a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis.
Dr. Michael Drass of Allegheny Pain Management, a clinic in Altoona, Pa., says he's also re-evaluating whether to rely on compounding pharmacies for the medicines he uses to treat his patients.
Drass's clinic and a second clinic in Pennsylvania have been contacting patients who received steroids produced by New England Compounding Center. Investigators have focused on a steroid custom-made by the pharmacy. As a precaution, the Food and Drug Administration urged physicians not to use any of the company's products.
Pennsylvania health officials say there have been no reports of death or illness in Pennsylvania so far. Elsewhere, there have been 47 cases in seven states, with five deaths.
