FDA warns of infusion pump vulnerability

In early August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a statement  concerning the vulnerability of infusion pumps to being hacked. Symbiq Infusion System (Symbiq), which is used in hospitals, skilled nursing and other healthcare facilities, was the focus for issuing the statement.

Infusion pumps are used to administer drugs over an extended period of times. If remotely accessed, an unauthorized user can change the dosage the pump delivers, resulting in the disruption of patient therapies.

While no adverse events or remote access of the infusion delivery system have been reported, the FDA urges healthcare facilities to take steps to reduce risk. The most drastic would be to disconnect Symbiq from the healthcare facility’s network. An alternative would be to close certain ports and monitor network traffic to see if there are attempts to reach the Symbiq system.

Sandra Hoban

Sandra Hoban was on I Advance Senior Care / Long-Term Living’s editorial staff for 17 years. She is one of the country’s longest-serving senior care journalists. Before joining Long-Term Living, she was a member of the promotions department at Advanstar Communications. In addition to her editorial experience, Sandi has served past roles in print and broadcast advertising as a traffic and talent coordinator.