A Senate committee released a report blaming "bureaucratic inertia" for inaction against the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., which produced contaminated products linked to the recent fungal meningitis outbreak, according to an AHA News Now report.
Contaminated products from NECC have been tied to 32 deaths and more than 450 illnesses, according to the AHA News Now report. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee released a report on the NECC at a hearing Thursday. The report, "The New England Compounding Center and the Meningitis Outbreak of 2012: A Failure to Address Risk to the Public Health," describes NECC's history of documented deficiencies, and the failure of officials to take action against the company.
"This crisis should have, and could have, been avoided entirely," the report states. "There were a number of authorities and mechanisms for both federal and state regulators to address this issue, but bureaucratic inertia appears to be what allowed a bad actor to repeatedly risk public health."
The Senate committee's hearing followed a hearing by a House committee Wednesday.
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Contaminated products from NECC have been tied to 32 deaths and more than 450 illnesses, according to the AHA News Now report. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee released a report on the NECC at a hearing Thursday. The report, "The New England Compounding Center and the Meningitis Outbreak of 2012: A Failure to Address Risk to the Public Health," describes NECC's history of documented deficiencies, and the failure of officials to take action against the company.
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"This crisis should have, and could have, been avoided entirely," the report states. "There were a number of authorities and mechanisms for both federal and state regulators to address this issue, but bureaucratic inertia appears to be what allowed a bad actor to repeatedly risk public health."
The Senate committee's hearing followed a hearing by a House committee Wednesday.
More Articles on the Meningitis Outbreak:
House Hears Testimony on Meningitis OutbreakCDC Launches Consultation Services for Clinicians Treating Fungal Meningitis Cases
FDA Reports 2 More Contaminated NECC Drugs
