Press Release from New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy Re: Interim Voluntary Consent Order in Med Prep Case

In Agreement with State Pharmacy Board, Monmouth County Pharmacy Temporarily Halts Operations Following Recall of Intravenous Products

NEWARK – The New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy announced that Med Prep Consulting, Inc., a Tinton Falls-based pharmacy, has agreed to temporarily halt all pharmacy operations beginning today, following the pharmacy’s voluntary recall of bags of magnesium sulfate intravenous solution. The recall includes bags of the intravenous solution that had been delivered to a Connecticut hospital, and which were identified as possibly contaminated with visible floating particles. The recall also includes magnesium sulfate products that may have been dispensed to additional facilities elsewhere, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In addition to the recall, the State Board of Pharmacy today entered into an Interim Voluntary Consent Order with Med Prep. Under the Order, the pharmacy has temporarily halted all pharmacy operations, including the production and shipping of medications. The order shall remain in effect until at least March 22. The Consent Order is not a disciplinary action, and does not represent an admission of wrongdoing by the pharmacy. “The State Board of Pharmacy and Med Prep have agreed that the pharmacy will stop producing and shipping medications until additional information about the potentially contaminated products can be gathered and analyzed,” Attorney General Chiesa said. “Our Enforcement Bureau investigators are working closely with the State Board of Pharmacy, State Department of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to fully investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident.” “Magnesium sulfate is a solution administered intravenously for a number of conditions,” said Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd. “This investigation is evolving. At this time, in an abundance of caution, the Department of Health recommends that any health care facility that has received products from Med Prep should inventory them and remove them from use. The Department of Health will continue to monitor this situation closely with the State Board of Pharmacy, the Connecticut Department of Public Health and our partners from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and we will keep the public informed.” The Health Department is sending the company’s voluntary recall notice to hospitals around the state. Hospitals and healthcare professionals are encouraged to fully cooperate with the voluntary recall. In addition, healthcare professionals are encouraged to visibly check any Med Prep products, as they should with any medical products, before using them. Follow the Division of Consumer Affairs on Facebook, and check our online calendar of upcoming Consumer Outreach events.