Minnesotans stack lawsuits against Massachusetts pharmacy
A Ham Lake woman who developed fungal meningitis after receiving steroid injections for back pain is the fourth patient in Minnesota to file a lawsuit against the New England Compounding Pharmacy, KSTP reports.
Holly Peterson received injections at a clinic in Coon Rapids and has accumulated over $100,000 in medical bills, Peterson's attorney says. Peterson will need to continue care for years to come.
Lawsuits have been filed in four other states, KSTP says. At least one of the suits, filed by Barbe Puro of Savage, is pushing for class-action status.
The nationwide meningitis outbreak linked to tainted injectables has claimed the lives of 32 people in 19 states. Health officials in Minnesota confirmed a new case Tuesday, bringing the statewide total to 12 cases.
Inspectors continue to find safety violations tied to NECC. According to a FDA report issued Monday, investogators found crawling insects, corroding walls and inadequate safeguards to prevent contamination at Ameridose, a sister company of NECC.