FDA Medication Shortages List.

[Skidmore]

They've been talking about this on the local news. Link for the interested.

http://www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/drugshortages/ucm050792.htm

[Liberal Veteran]

1. Doesn't look incredibly bad from reading through the list.

Seems like injectable medications are the worst off, but a good portion of those aren't routinely used in injectable form.

The Amphetamine Salts and Methylphenidate are probably the drugs with most impact issues (since they are widely used for ADD/ADHD).

[izquierdista]

3. Perhaps some hillbillies can help them out

They can cook up a mean batch of stuff in no time, with common household chemicals.

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. It's bad if you need the drug...the stories post this week include examples of

parents waiting for their child to get a needed drug. scary

[Liberal Veteran]

6. That, of course, goes without saying.

Particularly with orphan drugs that are used very rarely.

I'm simply pointing out that a number of these drugs in the list have various forms and drugs in the same therapeutic class, so the situation isn't as dire as one might think from a cursory glance at the list.

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. thanks for the clarification

[Warpy]

9. If you've got the bad luck to be sick enough to be in a hospital

you're going to feel that shortage acutely, especially if you've got complications after a cardiac intervention.

In addition, I noticed a lot of chemo drugs there.

[Liberal Veteran]

10. There is that, but you'll note that a lot of those listed are specific manufacturers or sizes.

If you are implying I am being unnecessarily indifferent, you couldn't be more wrong. I am pointing out that our media has a habit of sensationalizing things that aren't that uncommon (ie, "The Summer of Sharks!"). Of course, if one is waiting for a particular drug that only comes from a specific manufacturer to come back on the market it can be critical, but that's more often than not the exception rather than rule.

[Demoiselle]

2. Why?

[Skidmore]

4. I heard on ABC Evening News that this is partially due to the fact that

pharmaceutical companies have cut back on the production of cheaper generic forms of these medications.

[upi402]

7. Tv news reporting that...

"pharmaceutical companies have cut back on the production of cheaper generic forms of these medications" does not shock me somehow. Poor poor big pharma:nopity:

[Demoiselle]

8. That was my first thought, actually.

But I thought it would be too cynical to assume it.
I stand corrected. Sigh.