Safe steroids

Local health care providers have a message for their patients: Our steroids are safe.

The national fungal meningitis outbreak linked to steroid injections has claimed 20 lives and sickened more than 250 people as of Oct. 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some local health care providers have gotten calls from patients and community members who are concerned.

PeaceHealth Southwest’s Interventional Pain Clinic and Rebound Orthopedics & Neurosurgery issued news releases this week, assuring patients the epidural steroid injections used at the local clinics are safe.

Health officials believe the contaminated medication originated from the New England Compounding Center, a specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts.

PeaceHealth Southwest and Rebound spokespeople said the clinics have “never used, and do not currently use, any medication of any kind originating from the New England Compounding Center.”

Check out the CDC’s webpage on the outbreak for up-to-date information.