Health officials around the country are trying to track down patients who may have received a deadly dose of steroids used to treat back pain , but not here, as State Epidemiologist Patricia Quinlisk says none of the material reached Iowa.
“What the C-D-C is recommending at this time is to contact the people providers, health care, clinics who received one of those three lots and working with them contact all the patients who may have received one of the three lots. Since we never received any of the three lots we have not had to do that,” Quinlisk explains.
Dr. Quinlisk says the Massachusetts company has recalled not just the contaminated steroid, but every product on its shelves just to be safe. “There may be some of the things on that list that did make it to Iowa but its being recalled out of a total abundance of caution. It’s not even been something that’s been forced upon them, this pharmacy just doesn’t want to take any chances and is recalling everything,” she explains.
At least seven people have died and dozens more are became ill from a rare form of meningitis linked to the steroids.