On 1st November, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that they had reached an agreement with a pharmaceutical company in New Jersey to resolve allegations that the company had violated the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The pharmaceutical company had been selling and distributing unregistered and misbranded antimicrobial pesticides.
The healthcare sector used the pesticides to clean ultrasound and mammography equipment. Since, the pharmaceutical company have voluntarily recalled both products. They claimed that the products would kill microorganisms, however, the EPA registration process did not substantiate this claim. Therefore, the EPA did not have a demonstation of the products to ensure they did not pose potential health risks.
The EPA penalty
The pharmaceutical company paid a civil penalty of $250,000 in settlement of the case. They have confirmed that they have now compiled with FIFRA. The aim of the settlement was to safeguard against sellers and also distributors marketing their product without first registering it. Also, the settlement ensures that the antimicrobial products are not mislabelled.
To find out more about this, please visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.