October 23, 2012

Tennessee health leaders are taking a strong stance against the New England Compounding Center.

They have now revoked the license of the pharmacist in charge, and penalties against the company could be next.

NECC is no longer welcome in Tennessee.

Inside a small room near the Vanderbilt Medical Center, the phones keep ringing at the Tennessee Poison Center.

"Originally we were getting 150-130 calls a day," says Dr. Donna Seger with the Tennessee Poison Center.

The Poison Center is also serving as a fungal meningitis hotline. They are providing people with information about the outbreak.

If callers have symptoms, they're told to see their doctor, or go the emergency room.

"We're just trying to help people that have questions as to where they need to go and what they need to do," says Dr. Seger.

While the phones ring, state officials are taking steps to make sure drugs from the New England Compounding Center never come to Tennessee again.

The Tennessee Board of Pharmacy met on Tuesday.

"Dr. Cadden agrees to voluntary surrender his license to practice as a pharmacist in the state of Tennessee," says John Smith, Chief Deputy General Counsel with the Tennessee Department of Health.

Dr. Barry Cadden, the pharmacist in charge of the New England Compounding Center, which health leaders say supplied the tainted epidural steroid injections, has agreed to surrender his Tennessee license.

"They have been revoked in Tennessee. They can no longer provide any product to Tennessee," says Smith.

The Pharmacy Board also expressed its desire to pursue civil penalties against the company.

"Penalties per vial is what the board has recommended, and they're fully within their authority to make that recommendation," says Smith.

As the number of new cases starts to slow down in Tennessee, the Poison Center workers hope their calls will soon taper off.

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