Cancer patients in Canada got weak doses of chemo drugs

By Dana Ford, CNN

updated 2:26 AM EDT, Wed April 3, 2013

Patients at four Ontario hospitals received lower-than-intended doses of two cancer drugs, officials said.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- Close to 1,200 patients in Canada got lower-than-intended doses of chemotherapy drugs, officials said Tuesday, in a case that is sure to upset those patients and raise concerns about how potentially life-saving drugs are handled.

Cancer Care Ontario, a government agency, reported that 990 patients were affected at four hospitals: London Health Sciences Centre, Windsor Regional Hospital, Lakeridge Health and Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

Another 186 patients were underdosed at Saint John Regional Hospital in New Brunswick, said hospital spokeswoman Janet Hogan.

The drugs in question were bought by the hospitals from a supplier that produces and labels the medications, according to Cancer Care Ontario.

The supplier was identified as Marchese Hospital Solutions, a company spokesman said.

"We are, of course deeply concerned whenever any question is raised about the quality of our work," the company said in a statement. "Our preliminary investigation of this issue leads us to be confident that we have met the quality specifications of the contract we are honored to have been awarded."

Go here to see the original:
Cancer patients in Canada got weak doses of chemo drugs