The National Institutes of Health announced plans to improve organizational safety measures on Wednesday. The announcement comes after a production shutdown at two research facilities in the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md., due to safety concerns. The shutdown was announced Tuesday.
In June, 2015, the NIH halted operations at a specialized pharmacy due to potential patient exposure to a contaminated drug. While the NIH addressed the risks created by that particular issue, Director Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, found that a broader review of hospital operations was needed. Dr. Collins created a task force referred to as the "Red Team" to evaluate the organization.
The Red Team determined that the NIH Clinical Center needs reforms that prioritize patient safety.
"The emphasis on research is so great, and on trying to save people's lives, that there became a cultural attitude that overshadowed handling some of the details that are important details," Norman Augustine, former CEO of Lockheed Martin, who chaired the task force, told NPR.
In a written statement, Dr. Collins outlined the immediate actions the organization will be taking in response to the task force's recommendations. The announced changes include forming a clinical practice committee of senior clinical and laboratory experts and altering performance plans for clinical staff to emphasize patient safety.
The institute's two facilities that were selected for stoppage include a National Cancer Institute laboratory and a National Institute of Mental Health building. Researchers in both facilities were manufacturing products for study participants already suffering from illness.
"There is no evidence that any patients have been harmed," reads a statement from the NIH.
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