Shipment of Boston Scientific Devices Stolen

Medical devices aren't stereotypically the subject of Hollywood-style heists, but apparently some thieves didn't get the memo; the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal is reporting that Boston Scientific had a shipment of medical devices stolen while they were on the way to a sterilization facility in April. The pilfered devices, which includes endoscopy, urology, and women's health devices, are labeled as "sterile," but because they never reached the sterilization facility, they have not, in fact, been sterilized. The company is warning that the stolen devices could, if they end up being used, subsequently lead to infections and other complications.

FDA has posted a release with detailed label information about the stolen devices here. From the release:

Anyone who has information regarding this incident or has received suspicious or unsolicited offers for the devices identified above, after the date of the theft, is encouraged to contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations at 1-800-551-3989 or by visiting the OCI Web Site at (http://www.fda.gov/OCI). If you have questions or concerns regarding the affected devices, contact Boston Scientific at 866-868-4004.

Back in March, a group of senators, including prominent industry supporter Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), announced that they would introduce legislation to toughen the criminal penalties for stealing pharmaceuticals and medical devices. However, there is no evidence that the bill was ever introduced, at least not yet, as there is no entry for the so-called SAFE Doses Act in the Library of Congress. Though the senators had indicated that the bill would be centered around preventing the theft of prescription drugs, medical products also would have fallen under the law's purview. I wonder if this latest high-profile development will draw more attention to the issue of device theft. Have you noticed theft as a serious issue, or is this incident an anomaly?

— Thomas Blair