175 CDER-Registered Facilities in Katrina Disaster Area

has cross-referenced a list of zip codes for FEMA-designated Gulf Coast disaster areas with a database of manufacturing facilities registered with the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).

The comparison yielded a list of 175 facilities operated by 120 organizations. Of these facilities, 92 were in Louisiana, 65 in Mississippi, and 18 in Alabama.

Most of the locations are operated by medical gas producers (49) or providers (60, typically regional health chains, home health agencies, respiratory therapy companies, and medical supply houses).

Of the remainder, only a handful could be identified as fine chemical producers (11) or pharmaceutical companies or contract manufacturers (12).

Despite the widespread damage and flooding, some facilities, especially those at the edges of the disaster area, remain in operation.

–Douglas McCormick