On December 5, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration warned five firms to stop compounding and distributing standardized versions of topical anesthetic skin numbing creams marketed for general distribution.  These firms are:

• Triangle Compounding Pharmacy
• University Pharmacy
• Custom Scripts Pharmacy
• Hal’s Compounding Pharmacy
• New England Compounding Center

The main problem caused by these skin numbing creams is the fact that they can cause severe reactions such as seizures and irregular heartbeats.  In fact, as of December 2006, there have been two deaths allegedly linked to topical anesthetic creams made by Triangle Compounding Pharmacy and University Pharmacy, although any of the creams could potentially cause these side effects  These creams are not reviewed by the FDA for safety and effectiveness, and are not FDA approved; however, because they are on the market most people assume that they can be used without danger to themselves.

Common uses for compounded topical anesthetic skin numbing creams include easing minor a pain for treatments of:

• Laser hair removal
• Tattoo removal
• Minor skin treatments such as microdermabrasion

Common ingredients in most of these anesthetics include:

• Lidocaine
• Tetracaine
• Benzocaine
• Priolcane

When these ingredients are combined into one product people sensitive to one or more of these drugs are far more susceptible to injury, particularly if they are of young age, have a preexisting history of heart conditions, or have severe liver disease.  Furthermore, the likelihood of severe reactions increase if spread over a wide area or if covered by a bandage, plastic, or other dressing.

Traditional pharmacies would compound medications to form new drugs to treat conditions that had no conventional treatment on the market, but this was normally done on a small scale, case by case evaluation of an individual's overall health.  This procedure was virtually always overseen by the prescribing physician, thereby reducing the likelihood of adverse reactions.  Large scale manufacturing of these skin numbing compounds fails to take into account different physiologies, and thus unnecessarily risks the health of people that naturally assume any available product is safe for use.

If you or someone you know was injured by the topical anesthetic creams marketed by Triangle Compounding Pharmacy, University Pharmacy, Custom Scripts Pharmacy, Hal’s Compounding Pharmacy, and New England Compounding Center, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering.  Let our dedicated and experienced defective medical device attorneys help you get the justice you deserve.  Contact us today.