Heparin Update: 62 Suspected U.S. Fatalities, 2 Upcoming Hearings

Marv Shepherd, PhD

The heparin fallout continues.  As an update to our March 13 post, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now reports 62, not 19, suspicious deaths in the United States linked to the blood thinner heparin, most of which occurred in December, January and February.  According to an article in the New York Times, investigations continue into whether the deaths were caused by the Chinese contaminant.

Recognizing the importance and urgency of eliminating contaminated drugs, the Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold two hearings in the coming weeks on this issue. The first hearing, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, April 22 at 11 a.m., will ask FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach to explain how to address the many concerns raised by the Committee regarding FDA’s efforts to inspect foreign drug plants making products for the U.S. market. The second hearing, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, April 29 at 10 a.m., will examine the events leading up to the distribution of a contaminated batch of heparin imported from China.

The Partnership for Safe Medications applauds the efforts of Committee Chairman John D. Dingell, Committee Ranking Member Joe Barton, Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak and Subcommittee Ranking Member John Shimkus in arranging these hearings. Every step taken to ensure the safety of consumers is an important one.

Contaminated heparin is just one example of the increasingly global problem of counterfeit and contraband medications sold to an unknowing public. It is important to educate yourself on this topic and SafeMedicines.org has many resources available on how to keep your family safe, verifying online pharmacies are legitimate, how to spot fake drugs and the safe channels available to pay for prescription medications. Don’t become a victim—or a statistic—of counterfeit drugs.