Until very recently, it was virtually unknown that there is more cross-contamination going on in Big Pharma than anyone knew. While many pharmaceutical manufacturers follow safety procedures to the letter of the law, others are not as compliant as one would wish. As a result, there have been too many instances of cross-contamination coming to light in recent months, all of which could have been avoided if just a few procedures had been adhered to. Let’s look at some of why this has become such an issue and what we can do about it going forward.
A Look at Bradley Ellison
While this isn’t the worst-case scenario for cross-contamination in the pharmaceutical industry, it is perhaps the most visible in modern times. Although Bradley Ellison didn’t win the gold in archery this year, he was almost eliminated before the games because trace elements of a substance forbidden by the rules were found in his specimens. The anti-doping commission found traces of a drug he had no idea would be in his system and it was all because of cross-contamination in the manufacturing of the thyroid medication he takes. Upon investigation, the source of the substance was found, and he was allowed to compete. Now imagine if that had been a drug he had been allergic to, which could have led to severe consequences, up to and including death? That would have been literally unforgivable and something that could have been avoided in the first place!
A Quick Look at Cleaning Between Products
Oddly, sometimes a pharmaceutical manufacturer is actually cleaning lines and equipment in between drugs as they should be. They are using all the right chemicals and following procedures by the books. Sometimes it’s a matter of dust particles in the air that land on a nearby production line. This could be the case more than you know and that is why it is imperative that today’s manufacturers research equipment for dust collection for pharmaceutical manufacturing. If a person has a severe enough allergy to one medicine, it only takes a tiny speck to send that person into anaphylactic shock. Sometimes a person can be saved and other times not. If it isn’t known what caused the reaction, who would know how to treat that person on the spot, and by the time emergency rescue got there, it could be too late.
An Ounce of Prevention
How many times in your life have you heard the old adage an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? This is why it is vital that pharmaceutical manufacturers and packagers make every effort to ensure no cross-contamination takes place. It may be such a miniscule amount that the average person wouldn’t have a reaction but someone who has severe allergies could suffer life-threatening consequences.
Pharmaceuticals is not the only industry to have suffered from cross-contamination, but it is one of the ones that have recently been in the news for this very reason. If you are in the business of manufacturing or packaging pharmaceuticals, it is imperative that you understand the dangers of cross-contamination and make every effort to avoid contaminating other products. You’ve seen what the consequences can do, now let’s work together to avoid them.
