Apria Healthcare Cited for Improper Procedures

The Food and Drug Administration cited Apria Healthcare Group Inc. for the sixth time in less than two years for improper procedures in filling patients’ oxygen canisters with liquid gas from a supply tank.

Inspectors cited the home health-care company’s Tampa, Fla., branch for failing to properly test the identity and concentration of the liquid gas. The branch also failed to keep manufacturing records and to track home deliveries of oxygen, the agency said.

The FDA on Tuesday disclosed its Sept. 16 letter to Apria regarding findings from a branch inspection Aug. 21-22.

A company spokeswoman said Apria has notified the agency of its plans to fix the problems by retraining employees.

She said that although the company takes each warning seriously, it has hundreds of branches around the country and the level of serious citations is relatively small. She noted that the agency this year has issued 10 notices to other companies involving problems at their oxygen-filling facilities across Florida and that this is Apria’s first notice involving the Tampa facility.