Chemotherapy oversight gap narrows in Ontario

Ontario's governing Liberals say they've closed a gap in oversight after about 1,200 patients in two provinces received diluted chemotherapy drugs.

They say that starting today, the government will ensure hospitals will purchase drugs only from accredited, licensed or otherwise approved suppliers.

A spokesperson for the Ontario College of Pharmacists said regulations allowing the college to inspect drug preparation facilities where pharmacists and pharmacy technicians also goes into effect starting today.

Facilities that pass, pass with conditions or fail will also be made public.

The regulation includes a 150-day maximum for the inspections, although the normal rhythm of inspections is expected to go more quickly.

The college expects to handle about sixfacilities in the province under the new regulation.

Marchese Hospital Solutions prepared the drug-and-saline mixture that was given to four hospitals in Ontario and one in New Brunswick.

Health Canada and the Ontario government have acknowledged that there was no oversight of the company.

Health Canada has also taken steps to close the oversight gap in the wake of the drug scare.

It had ordered that compounding and admixing can continue if it is done within a hospital, under the supervision of a provincially licensed pharmacist, or in a manner that meets the licensing and manufacturing requirements of the Food and Drugs Act.

The extra saline in the bags containing cyclophosphamide and gemcitabine supplied to the hospitals effectively watered down the prescribed drug concentrations by up to 20 per cent.

Some of the cancer patients were receiving the diluted drugs for as long as a year.