Drug shortages and medication backorders are nothing new, but a critical combination of natural disasters and industry challenges have created a true public health care crisis in 2017. From saline IV bags to injectable sodium bicarbonate and Nature Throid®, short supply is a rampant challenge. Read on to understand the full scope of this emergent situation and learn how our compounding pharmacy can help you fill medication needs.
An Overview of Current Drug Shortages and Backorders
This year saw a cataclysmic series of events:
- In the spring of 2017, Pfizer experienced supply chain issues with a third party manufacturer leading to a critical shortage in sodium bicarbonate injectable syringes (important for heart attack patients, morphine administration, and other procedures).
- At the same time, legal inquiries and quality issues into a major IV bag supplier, B. Braune Medical Inc., were launched triggering early supply shortages.
- Tangentially, an important medication for hyperthyroidism, Nature Throid®, went on backorder due to manufacturer equipment upgrades and facility changes.
- Then, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in October. Within hours, one of the biggest medical supply manufacturers, Baxter International, had lost power. The result was a domino effect of shortages and dwindling inventories of one of the most prevalent drug delivery tools in hospitals and other care centers: IV bags. Used for everything from delivering chemotherapy to antibiotics and vital fluids with saline or dextrose, IV bags are staples of care to stabilize new hospital patients and to deliver nutrients and medications.
- Altogether, sterile injectable shortages present the most serious issue for healthcare providers in the US. It is estimated that they account for 72% of all the drug shortages (according to Bloomberg Business reporting and a new Pew Charitable Trusts and International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineers assessment).
Sterile Compounding and Custom Medications: An Answer to Drug Shortages
We are committed to helping prescribers with custom, compounded medications so that patient care is never compromised.
Sterile Compounding
Our state-of-the-art sterile compounding facility enables us to meet the demands of critical IV infusion shortages.
Nature Throid for hypothyroidism
Budget friendly, custom doses of T3 and T4 are an excellent and sometimes superior alternatives. Contact our team to discuss your patient’s needs.
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IV Bags
Let our team of compounding pharmacists advise you on how to alter IV drip formulas for push administration, when appropriate, alleviating the need for IV bags.
Stay updated on the latest drug shortages on the FDA website.
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Sources:
USA Today, Fierce Pharma, Bloomberg, FDA Access Data, NY Times, CBS News.
