Drug shortages prompt hospitals to use older treatments

[n2doc]

By Bruce Japsen, Tribune reporter
3:53 p.m. CST, February 19, 2011

Hospitals across the country are running out of key drugs used in surgeries and to treat some diseases, including cancer, causing doctors to turn to older treatments.

In some cases, hospitals are paying higher prices to get their patients necessary care because wholesalers are hoarding needed medicines.

Part of the shortage is being caused by manufacturing issues and quality-control problems at a number of companies that include Lake Forest-based Hospira Inc., one of the primary makers of generic injectable prescription medicines, as they respond to the federal government's crackdown on drug safety. The quality issues can range from finding toxins and "particulate matter" in medicines to workers inaccurately filling out the required paperwork to verify that the drugs, as well as the devices used to intravenously deliver the products to patients, are safe and effective.

Even after a company restarts production of a drug, it takes time for a plant to catch up to the back orders. And injectable drugs in particular, unlike pills and tablets, tend to require long lead times to produce.


more

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0220-drug-shortages-20110219,0,7409047.story

[madmax]

1. But, we have the best health care in the world! nt

:sarcasm:

[XanaDUer]

2. Wow, we're turning into Romania

let's break out the leeches!

[3waygeek]

4. Leeches are already an integral part of the system...

you know them as Cigna, United Healthcare, etc.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

9. Hey! Leeches are awesome... and maggots are too

Modern medicine is finally starting to come around and realize they've been used for centuries for good reason.

:P

[midnight]

3. These days I have to read and make sure which country these shortages are occurring in...

There are people who need jobs who could help this country... Let's get moving....We need real leadership and not some watered down excuses about how impossible to be a functional country ....

[LiberalAndProud]

5. The underlying text is that government regulation is the culprit here.

I'm not sure I'm buying what the Chicago Tribune is selling.

[tammywammy]

8. Agreed

then again, if these shortages are due to a quality control issues at the factories, it's better that there's shortages than unsafe medications on the market.

[Mimosa]

6. Walgreen's often tells me that some manufacturer or another is 'backed up'

And they can only give me 4, 13, or part of some common prescription. I used to wonder if they were lying.

[pipi_k]

7. Maggots and moldy cheese!

DIY healthcare...

:scared: