A Stubborn Drug Shortage

A Stubborn Drug Shortage

 SEOOKE.com: Health care workers around the country have used expired drugs or less effective alternatives when a critical medicine could not be found. The shortages of generic drugs also drive up the cost of care when doctors have to use a more expensive drug instead.

The problem peaked in 2011, when 251 drugs were declared in short supply. Dr. Margaret Hamburg, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, told The Times she was “guardedly optimistic” that the shortage was abating thanks to steps taken by regulators and drug companies.

Most of the drugs that are hard to find are administered by injection in doctors’ offices, hospitals and clinics. They include chemotherapy drugs for cancer, antibiotics for severe infections and anesthetics for surgery. The shortages have been caused by manufacturing and quality-control problems that have put production lines out of service; by difficulty importing critical ingredients; and by consolidation in the generic-drug industry, which reduces the number of companies that can pick up the slack.

The shortages might get worse because a big compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts that supplies drugs to hospitals and doctors nationwide has suspended operations, and state and federal inspections have found unsanitary conditions and unsafe practices. Industry officials say ending the shortages is a top priority, and government officials say drug companies are making significant investments to upgrade production facilities.[NYT]