Heparin fix leads to new concerns

Baltimore Sun, May 16, 2008

Efforts to make the blood thinner heparin safer, and to replace supplies that were depleted by a major recall, have meant new safety concerns for hospitals, heart clinics and dialysis centers that use it. The drug was recalled in February after contamination during production in China led to as many as 81 deaths in the United States. Its leading maker has suspended manufacture of most of its heparin products. The resulting shortage of heparin means heparin from new suppliers is arriving in different quantities and strengths than medical staffs are accustomed to, and pharmacists and others worry that patients may be vulnerable to receiving improper doses.