MDCH to Mich docs: call NECC patients

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - The Michigan Department of Community Health sent an alert to all medical providers in Michigan urging them to contact patients who may have received any injectable medicine from the New England Compounding Center, the pharmaceutical company connected to an outbreak of meningitis from tainted steroid injections. All medicines made by that company have been recalled.

More than 2,300 drugs from NECC have been recalled -- everything from saline to morphine. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said a patient may have gotten sick from a different medicine than the one initially thought to contain the deadly meningitis strain.

24 Hour News 8 found out Wednesday that Metro Health and Saint Mary's Health Care hospitals never received any drugs from NECC.  

Spectrum Health did not receive any injectable drugs. Spokeperson Bruce Rossman said that Zeeland Community Hospital had received a "topical analgesic" cream from the company in the past.  
 
According to the FDA, doctors are not urged to contact patients who used lower risk products from the NECC, things like creams and suppositories, but should contact patients who received injections to let them know they may be at risk of an infection.  
 
Patients who are concerned about their potential risk should contact their doctor, who should be able to look at the patient's medical records to see if they received any NECC injections.

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Online:

List of recalled medications via the FDA (pdf)