The original recall notification stated 65 people in nine states were infected with salmonella linked to eggs supplied by Milo’s Poultry Farms LLC from May 23 to Aug. 10. No deaths were reported, but 24 people were hospitalized, according to the CDC.
Milo’s Poultry Farms is in Bonduel, Wisconsin, about 29 miles north of Green Bay.
And also sold at Tony’s Fresh Market.
Doing CME at lunch (as one does) and came across this infographic regarding disposal of unwanted prescription drugs. I was shocked at the number of states that do not have a statute requiring some form of pharmaceutical disposal through pharmacies! There is a strong, but not perfect, red/blue dichotomy in the regs, of course. Be careful disposing for your prescriptions!
The FDA strongly states that the best option for the disposition of medications is to find a drug take-back location. While the disposal of medications at a participating pharmacy is the ideal method of drug disposal, the FDA provides information on other disposal options, including the listing of drugs that can be flushed, drugs that should never be flushed, and drugs that with certain care can be deposited in the trash. If there is no take-back location nearby, one should check the FDA’s Flush List (Table 2) to determine whether a drug can be safely flushed. Most drugs on the list are opioids, ones that if children, adults, or pets in one’s home accidentally or intentionally ingest, touch, misuse, or abuse can quickly cause serious consequences including death. An example is the fentanyl transdermal system (also known as a fentanyl patch).
It’s difficult to find somewhere around here to drop off unwanted prescription drugs. There are bins at some pharmacies but they always have a sign on them saying they are full or not in use or something 
Yeah, the article goes on to say that, although there are statutes in place, very few involve actually funding the program, and it is not free for the pharmacies. So, flushing opioids and mixing other stuff with kitty litter (preferably used) or such and disposing in the trash is a grim second best.
This is what I typically do after checking at the local pharmacy and finding that again, they aren’t accepting. Though none of the meds in question are particularly dangerous.
There is a Rx drop bin in the lobby at the main police precinct, which is in the “public safety complex” that also houses the sheriff’s HQ, the city/county lockup, and some courtrooms. One’s comfort level with that option may vary.
The free clinic will also take just about medication that isn’t expired.
With this latest move, I FINALLY decided it was time to get rid of all the drugs I collected during the active phase of cancer treatment. An entire plastic bin’s-worth! All it took was walking a few blocks to a Walgreens and dumping them 6-8 at a time down the chute of the secure metal storage box. Easy peasy. But of course I had to do that while I was in Chicago, not at home in Indiana.
But hey, I can easily buy a gun anywhere in Indiana but not in Chicago, so it’s a fair trade, right?
A nice wide Sharpie to block out any identifying info on the Rx label is all you need.
File this under “Huh, would not have thought of that”
COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA
Department of Health
October 8, 2024
Dear Colleague:
Last week, the Baxter International Inc. North Cove Facility in Marion, NC was impacted by Hurricane Helene. Baxter is a major U.S. manufacturer of IV solutions, accounting for approximately 60% of domestic production. Baxter has announced reduced supply of intravenous and peritoneal dialysis (PD) solutions due to the damage of its manufacturing plants from hurricane Helene.
In letters to its clients, Baxter indicates it has implemented reduced supply allocations on a number of products. We understand that allocation amounts range from 40-50 percent from some of the more common IV solution products. Therefore, health care providers are expected to receive fewer IV products from Baxter than they are traditionally accustomed to receiving in orders placed based on consumption of these resources. For the most current updates on the product availability, please contact the manufacturer directly.
As of today, FDA has not declared any new shortages related to items produced at the North Cove facility. Baxter reports that they are taking additional steps to manage inventory of their North Cove production to assure equitable access. We understand that the FDA is also working with Baxter’s additional facilities to increase supply and reduce the risk of new shortages until Baxter can resume manufacturing the impacted products.
Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is requesting all health care providers to immediately implement temporary conservation measures to mitigate the potential impacts of this manufacturing disruption. This is a rapidly evolving situation, and this information is subject to change. Virginia Department of Health is working closely with the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA), and coordinating with Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Quality Insights Renal Network, Virginia’s EMS Councils, and other health care organizations to closely monitor this situation and we will continue to provide updates as soon as available.
Half the domestic supply of IV fluids borked. Fuck off Helene.
I hope they put those hangover cure IV companies hold during the crisis.
I always rip off the label and then tear that into bits before putting the empty bottle in the recycling. It’s satisfying. Next time I have extra prescription meds, I’m going to try to figure out if a free clinic in the area wants them. In which case, I would tear off just my name.
The Rx number is also an identifier, so I mark that illegible as well…and it’s good to have the name and strength of the medication easily visible without having to open the vial and making a visual verification, so I don’t tear off the entire label.
That’s my way, at least.
I hope they consider keeping production and storage spread out to those “additional facilities” in the future. With so much risk due to climate change, we cannot afford to have too many medical supply “eggs” in one basket.
“A study published in July that examined hospital records of some 19 million children in the U.S. found the incidence of scurvy tripled in a four-year period. The rate went from 8.2 cases per 100,000 children in 2016 to 26.7 cases per 100,000 children in 2020.”
Local hospital system is canceling “non-emergent surgeries” due to the expected shortage of iv-fluids
https://whnt.com/news/huntsville/huntsville-hospital-delays-non-emergent-surgeries-due-to-iv-fluid-supply-shortage/
Another one. Damn, it’s almost like these corporations value profit over consumer safety. But that couldn’t be, could it? (/s)
I imagine they’re already practicing all that freedom to harm (and thus to profit!) that they recently got from that Supreme Court decision that renders federal regulators toothless.
