The days when Brian Kennedy can rate his pain as an 8 out of 10 are “good days,” but most often it feels more like a 9 or 10 even with the potent painkiller oxycodone in his system. Kennedy is one of the 741 people across the country who developed a fungal infection after receiving a steroid shot that was contaminated at the compounding pharmacy where it was manufactured.
Kennedy’s infection attacked the membrane of his spinal cord and brain, causingmeningitis. He had to endure heavy doses of antibiotics that were just as sickening as the infection itself, causing him to drop 60 pounds and lose most of his hair. After 21 days in the hospital, Kennedy was deemed strong enough to undergosurgery to treat the infection. He now has to wear a body brace. But Kennedy is considered lucky. Fifty-five of the people who developed fungal meningitis from the tainted shots have died.
About 18,000 contaminated steroid shots used to treat back, neck or joint painwere shipped to medical facilities across the country between late May and late September 2012. The shots were manufactured by New England Compounding Center (NECC). The incident has raised concerns regarding the oversight of compounding pharmacies that mass produce custom-mixed drugs and ship them across state lines. Inspections during the past several months have prompted therecall of sterile products from numerous compounding pharmacies due to sterility concerns.
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