Safety issues found at 30 pharmacies

Safety issues found at 30 pharmacies

WASHINGTON

The Food and Drug Administration says it has uncovered potential safety problems at 30 specialty pharmacies that were inspected in the wake of a recent outbreak of meningitis caused by contaminated drugs.

The agency said its inspectors targeted 31 compounding pharmacies that produce sterile drugs, which must be prepared under highly sanitary conditions. The FDA said Thursday it issued inspection reports to all but one of the pharmacies citing unsanitary conditions and quality-control problems, including: rust and mold in supposedly sterile rooms, inadequate ventilation and employees’ wearing nonsterile lab coats.

Verizon to extend upgrade wait time

NEW YORK

Verizon Wireless, the country’s largest cellphone carrier, said Friday that it is extending the time it takes to earn a subsidized phone upgrade from 20 months on contract to 24 months.

The move will save Verizon money, since it subsidizes each new smartphone by as much as $400 to get the price down to $199 or lower. With less-frequent phone upgrades, it will pay out less in subsidies.

In a statement on its website, Verizon said the move aligns its policy with the typical length of a phone contract and with the way people buy new phones. The change takes effect with contracts expiring in January.

US gives China a pass on currency

WASHINGTON

The Obama administration declined to label China a currency manipulator Friday, although it said that China’s currency remains significantly undervalued.

The decision came in a twice-a-year Treasury report on whether any nations are manipulating their currencies to gain trade advantages.

The report noted that China has allowed its currency, the renminbi, to rise in value by 10 percent against the dollar since June 2010 and even more when inflation is taken into account. But the report said the currency still remains undervalued and more appreciation is needed.

Magnet sets recalled

WASHINGTON

Six retailers have agreed to a voluntary recall of a brand of potentially dangerous high-powered magnet sets after the importer refused to participate.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday that Barnes & Noble, Bed Bath & Beyond, Brookstone, Marbles the Brain Store, ThinkGeek and Hallmark retailers are recalling Buckyballs and Buckycubes after the CPSC received 54 reports of children and teens ingesting the product, with all but one of those requiring medical intervention.

The tiny, powerful magnets are sold as a desktop toy that can be molded into various shapes. Although the magnets are meant for adult use, the CPSC said they pose grave danger to youngsters who play with them and to teenagers who use them to mimic tongue, lip or cheek piercings. If accidentally swallowed or inhaled, the magnets can pinch internal tissue, causing infection or even death.

Associated Press