5 major drug shortages that do not improve
Current supply chain problems affect millions of prescriptions from people.
Modern medicine has facilitated the treatment of any number of ailments, but it is only if you can get hold of these drugs. Last year, in progress and active drug shortages reached a record During the decade, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Consequently, the analysis of the advisers of data aid from the American census office revealed that almost 31 million people In the nation, experienced difficulties in fulfilling an order between September and October 2023.
"The drug shortages are the highest we have seen in a decade, which makes it more and more difficult for patients and doctors across the country to obtain the necessary medications", " Jack Resneck Jr. , MD, certified dermatologist at the Council and expert in health policy which was former president of the American Medical Association (AMA), said in a press release .
Erin FOX , Pharmd, head of the pharmacy associated with the University of Utah Health, which helps provide information to the ASHP drug shortage, told, told CNN in February That many current drugs used in hospitals have become difficult to find in recent years as well.
"It doesn't seem to be a light at the end of this tunnel," said Fox. "I hope that, in the middle of next year, we will start to see a certain relief, but this is a frustrating problem for sure."
Since April 1, the ASHP database Indicates that there are 263 shortages of current drugs in the country, some of which have been underway for some time now and show no sign of relaxation. Read more to find out which five major drug shortages will have been with us for longer than we hoped.
In relation: 4 major drug shortages that could affect you in 2024 .
1 Bicillin
Bicillin (an antibiotic also known as Penicillin G Benzathine) is considered " First -line recommended treatment For syphilis, and the only recommended treatment option for certain patients, "according to centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
But this drug, which is only manufactured by Pfizer Inc., was in shortage Since last year due to increased demand in the context of an increase in national syphilis rates.
Pfizer initially expected the supplies Bicillin would normalize at the end of June 2024, Bloomberg reported. But one new update From the Food and Drug Administration of the United States (FDA), on March 21, revealed that the estimated recovery of this shortage is not expected before the end of the year - and certain doses may not be back in A regular supply before spring 2025.
In relation: It is not only Adderall - these drugs are also faced with shortages now .
2 Rifampine
The rifampin is considered to be broken down by the FDA since December 2021, according to a displayed letter by the CDC. This antibiotic is commonly used to treat tuberculosis (TB), making it one of the many TB drugs that have been faced with shortages in the United States in recent years.
3 Adderall
The FDA Announced for the first time A shortage at the national level of Adderall in October 2022. But more than a year and a half later, the ADHD medication is still broken down, some manufacturers Currently estimated that they will not have certain doses of the immediate formulation of the available liberation before September this year.
In relation: 10 common drugs you can soon see "huge savings" under medication .
4 Vyvanse
The current Adderall shortage has prompted some patients to move to other ADHD medication, such as Vyvanse, the brand name of lisdexamfetamine.
But now the Ashp indicates That several manufacturers are currently reporting a shortage of lisdexamfétamines capsules as well - and many of them say they do not estimate when they are able to publish more Vyvanse supply.
5 Chemotherapy drugs
Several essential drugs against cancer are also faced with shortages, including three commonly used chemotherapy drugs: cisplatin, methotrexate and carboplatin. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB
Cisplatin and methotrexate, which are used to treat a variety of cancers, were both affected by the end of 2022 of a large production installation in India which did not succeed in a surprise inspection of the safety of The FDA.
These shortages led to increased demand for alternatives such as carboplatin, which caused a training effect and also created a shortage of chemotherapy medication.
"It is the most critical shortage of chemotherapy I have ever seen, and it is certainly a public health emergency", " Angeles Alvarez Seord , MD, director of gynecological oncology clinical trials at the Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, North Carolina, said in a press release for a January report published in the Cancer cytopathology newspaper.
Best Life offers the most up -to -date information for high -level experts, new research and health agencies, but our content is not supposed to replace professional advice. Regarding the medication you take or any other health issue you have, always consult your health care provider directly.