The Tennessee Board of Pharmacy called a special meeting Monday to revoke the license of the New England Compounding Center. Photo credit Blake Farmer/WPLN
The New England Compounding Center – blamed for the nationwide outbreak of fungal meningitis – has surrendered its license to operate in Tennessee. At least four other states have already suspended the pharmacy’s license.
In Monday’s special-called meeting of the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy, some of the druggists on the panel asked what took so long. The compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts issued recalls for its tainted steroids weeks ago.
Attorney John R. Smith represents the state Department of Health.
“Any action we would have taken prior to now – any formal action that we would have taken – would have at most resulted in a suspension of the license, which would require a full hearing.”
A suspension is also temporary. Smith says getting the company to agree to give up its license is a quicker route to a permanent solution.
However, the damage from New England Compounding has already been done in Tennessee. Members of the pharmacy board were stopped from talking about the need for more preventive measures because the topic was not on the special-called meeting’s agenda.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM