North Carolina pharmacy board closes compounding pharmacy

All lots of nonsterile and sterile products compounded, repackaged and distributed by Prescription Center Pharmacy, 915 Hay St., Fayetteville, North Carolina, between Sept. 10, 2014, and March 10, 2015, have been recalled by the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy. After an inspection conducted in March by the board, it ordered the recall because of the pharmacy's inability to ensure the sterility, stability and potency of these products. The board also closed the facility.

Recalled compounded products were distributed in all 50 states, as well as Canada. "Healthcare providers and patients should stop using all compounded products distributed by Prescription Center immediately and dispose of the products according to state and/or local government guidelines," the state board says in a release. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says the recall also includes veterinary drugs and urges veterinarians and pet owners to cease use of the recalled products.

"Veterinarians should check their medical supplies, quarantine any drug products from the Prescription Center and should not administer or prescribe them to their patients," an FDA release states. "Pet owners should check their pet's medications for products from the Prescription Center, safely dispose of them, and consult their prescribing veterinarian for alternative medications." Recommendations for safe disposal can be found on the FDA website.

At this time, the board has not received any complaints of injury caused by the Prescription Center Pharmacy's recalled products. It encourages anyone who suspects adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the recalled products to report them to the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy at complaints@ncbop.org and the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program. To send reports by traditional mail, address them to the board at 6015 Farrington Road, Suite 201, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27517. The FDA has a postage-paid, pre-addressed form available on its website or call the Center for Veterinary Medicine at 1-888-FDA-VETS. Leave your name, address, phone number and the brand name of the drug involved. Fax reports to the board at 919-246-1056 and to FDA at 1-800-FDA-0178.