What should a pharmacist do if they find a CSP with visible foreign particles?

The appropriate action for a pharmacist who discovers a compounded sterile preparation (CSP) with visible foreign particles is to discard it immediately. This response is aligned with the guidelines set forth in USP 797, which emphasizes the importance of ensuring patient safety and maintaining the integrity of compounded sterile preparations.

Foreign particles in a CSP can potentially compromise the sterility and safety of the preparation. These particles could be contaminants that pose serious health risks if administered to patients. Because the presence of foreign particles indicates a lack of quality control and potentially breaches sterile conditions, it is crucial to remove such a product from use without delay.

While documenting the findings is essential for record-keeping and quality assurance purposes, immediate action to discard the compromised CSP takes precedence to avoid any risk to patients. Testing for sterility or keeping the CSP for future study does not mitigate the immediate danger to patients from an already contaminated product. Therefore, discarding the CSP safeguards patient health and aligns with best practices in sterile compounding.