Important Takeaways:
- Erin Fox has tracked drug shortages for more than 20 years, and she sees no easy solutions for what has become a record run.
- Total active shortages hit an all-time high of 323 in this year’s first quarter, according to the University of Utah Drug Information Service. That’s up about 86% from a 10-year low of 174 last reached in 2017.
- There were 48 new shortages recorded this year through March, according to the data, published by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
- Q: Is there any good news?
- A: Last year, Congress held four hearings on shortages. They’re still very interested. People are really starting to talk about doing hard work both on the policy side but also maybe a little bit of Congressional action to really try to move this problem forward.
- I’ve been leading our efforts to provide data on drug shortages since 2001. This is truly the most interest I’ve ever seen.
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Important Takeaways:
- ‘WHITE LUNG’ Comes to America as Drug Shortages Grow
- A “mysterious Chinese pneumonia,” termed “White Lung” by the clever pundits on the evening news, is making headlines as it rolls through schools and homes across the United States.
- As the fear-mongering escalates, many Americans recall a lesson from the last pandemic: the FDA demonized and blocked access to important medications like Ivermectin.
- Pharmaceutical shortages and bans are real. And it’s happening again.
- The cures for sicknesses like this new pneumonia are nothing revolutionary. The only thing standing between many Americans and health could be our own government.
- That’s why it pays to be prepared ahead of time.
- Drew Pinsky, world-renowned doctor at The Wellness Company, explains: “White Lung” is a sensational name for these pneumonia infections seen this winter in the United States. This outbreak seems to be the result of RSV, Influenza, and most likely common Mycoplasma. The first line of Mycoplasma treatment for adults is Azithromycin (Z-pak) — a core life-saving medicine found in our Medical Emergency Kits. Having a kit on hand is an ideal way to be prepared for the first sign of a Mycoplasma [pneumonia] infection.
- Don’t rely on Joe Biden’s healthcare system to have your back.
- Whether the crisis comes in the form of a new pneumonia or something more mundane like a tick bite – you and your family need to be prepared.
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Important Takeaways:
- US drug shortages are forcing ‘impossible choices’ for Americans, experts tell Senate committee
- “The absence of a generic and cheap drug like fludarabine literally can be the difference between life and death,” Westin told members of the US Senate Committee on Finance at a hearing Tuesday.
- Marsha Blackburn noted that the medical center at Vanderbilt in Nashville has had to dedicate more than 100 staff members to managing and mitigating disruptions caused by shortages.
- “This is something that is becoming all too common with our providers,” the Tennessee Republican said Tuesday.
- The majority of the nearly 200 ongoing shortages – 84% – don’t involve new or novel drugs but rather generics that have been on the market for decades, said Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. Generics make up 9 of every 10 prescriptions filled in the US, so shortages have a big impact on the country’s health.
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Matthew 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Important Takeaways:
- US Hospitals Brace for Drug Shortages After Pfizer Plant Damaged in Tornado
- After an EF-3 tornado ripped through North Carolina this week, there are concerns U.S. hospitals could face drug shortages.
- One of the hardest hit sites was the Pfizer factory in Rocky Mount, a huge facility with the equivalent of more than 24 football fields in manufacturing space.
- The drug company says all employees were safely evacuated, adding in a tweet that it is still “determining the best way to get back online as quickly as possible.”
- The plant produces nearly 25 percent of Pfizer’s sterile injectables used in U.S. hospitals. That includes medicines that treat infections and drugs for anesthesia and surgeries.
- Experts warn there could be long-term shortages as Pfizer shifts production to other locations or rebuilds.
- All of this puts even more pressure on already strained drug supplies at U.S. hospitals.
- Overall, there were 309 drug shortages in the U.S. at the end of June. That’s up from 295 at the end of last year and the highest total recorded since 2014.
- It’s still not clear which drugs might be affected or how long a shortage could last. For now, hospitals are storing up supplies and holding their breath until more is known.
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