Red Cross hit with $4.2 million blood fine

[Texsox]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/09/08/redcr...d.ap/index.html

 

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government said Friday it was fining the American Red Cross $4.2 million for violating blood-safety laws.

 

The violations include failing to ask appropriate questions of potential donors and not following test procedures, said the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA said it had no evidence of serious health consequences resulting from the violations.

 

The fine was the largest single penalty assessed so far under terms of a 2003 court settlement that allows the large fines when the Red Cross violates FDA rules. Previously, the FDA had fined the Red Cross a total of $5.7 million.

[Rex Kickass]

If you want to collect blood, you need to follow the blood collecting rules.

[Texsox]

I trust the Red Cross to spend that 4 mil better than the US Government. I think society loses when we take money from a good charity and give it to the government. I also don't like the government having a profit motive in collecting these fines.

[hogsmom]

I work for the Red Cross collecting blood. You would not believe the bs that goes with this job. For example, we have the same questions repeatly word for word, we have to offer ( not just give) donors a paper about the NAT test, and have to ask donors their name, bd, and SS# 3 times to verify who they are. Donors are asked to read the same book everytime they donate to self defer in case something has changed with them. Some donor know and do not argue, but I have had some to leave because I would insist that they read. I've had people lie to my face, but we can't call them on it. The FDA wants a safe product, so do I. I may get that blood, my kid may, or my mother. I want it to be safe for everyone's sake. We use a from that other blood collection agencies use that has been approved by the AABB (Amer. Assoc. of Blood Banking) and the FDA. unfortunately, when one area or center screws up, we all pay the price.. Every 3 mo., everyone who works in our region has to be watched doing an arm srcub and 2 histories. This happened because someone told the FDa during an inspection that he was not taught the proper time to scrub an arm. I heard this guy was somewhere in Atlanta or nj/ Penn area ??. I do choose to keep working for the cross, because most days I enjoy my job and I feel like I'm doing something worthwhile. Some days are hard, but I work with a great bunch of people doing something good. This thing is going to be ugly! Thanks for hearing me out. B

[Balta1701]

I donate all the time, usually shoot for at least 5 times per year...I haven't had problems with being asked to sit and read things or to repeat my name and SSN repeatedly.

 

I trust the Red Cross to spend that 4 mil better than the US Government. I think society loses when we take money from a good charity and give it to the government. I also don't like the government having a profit motive in collecting these fines.

The Red Cross hasn't exactly had a stellar record of dispersing funds and other donations given to it in the past few years either...not even counting this matter.

[EvilMonkey]

What other ways would there be to punish them> Not saying this is wrong or right, just asking? If there were rules, and they didn't follow them, some sort of penalty needs to be handed out, but what is fair?

[Steve9347]

um, when they arent asking questions of the people donating blood such as "do you have aids" then yeah, they need a lesson taught.

[hogsmom]

We ask about aids, hepatitis, syphilis, gonnerhea(sp) .We ask if you have had sex with anyone who has these. We ask if if they live with anyone who has hepatitis. .Balta, thank you for your donations, but I'm sure you have seen some people come in and be not so patient and nice. When you work with public, you see this kind. Fortunately, most people we deal with are nice, decent folks.

[Goldmember]

it's tragic that a few screw it up for all, but the rules are there for a reason and need to be followed, especially if people's lives are at risk. if they'r not then there need to be consequences, as in all other aspects of life. should the government wait until people die from the ineptitude of those few before it doles out punishment? i'm sure at that point we'd be calling for the heads of some in the governement as well as the red cross organization...

[Rex Kickass]

They also turn away gay people who would like to donate blood, IIRC.

[Texsox]

They also turn away gay people who would like to donate blood, IIRC.

 

That is a FDA rule, so it appears that any blood center has to turn away any man who has sex with another man since 1977. There was a proposal to make it a floating 5 year time period, but the FDA voted no to that as well.

 

I thought with improved testing that was an outdated policy.

[Steff]

If you want to collect blood, you need to follow the blood collecting rules.

 

 

 

^^.

[Rex Kickass]

That is a FDA rule, so it appears that any blood center has to turn away any man who has sex with another man since 1977. There was a proposal to make it a floating 5 year time period, but the FDA voted no to that as well.

 

I thought with improved testing that was an outdated policy.

 

It is, they can now perform extremely accurate tests with a mouth swab in 20 minutes, and it detects the virus as little as three weeks after exposure.