Increasing Hospital Drug Shortages Cause Alarm for Healthcare Providers and Government Officials
As more and more providers are affected by the escalating increases in drug shortages, a variety of initiatives have been launched by both healthcare and government agencies, as well as through Congressional hearings, all of which are focused on finding quick solutions.
As Scrubs & Suits reported last month, nearly half of the 820 hospitals surveyed by the AHA recently reported having experienced shortages of at least 21 drugs during the past six months—and nearly all of the hospitals surveyed (99.5 percent) said they’d experienced at least one drug shortage during the same time.
According to Ask Dr. Manny blogger Alex Crees, even cancer patients are being seriously affected by this “gray market” issue. Crees says that in addition to drugs used for infections and other treatments, the growing shortage of vital drugs used for chemotherapy has caused the deaths of at least 15 people in the past few months, during which time hospitals have been forced to ration these life-saving medications. Alternatively, they’re buying them from “gray market” suppliers at huge markups, Crees reports.
“These secondary suppliers are often unlicensed and may not follow appropriate practices for the storage or disposal of drugs, making the medications less effective or even capable of harming patients,” Crees writes. “While there are many questions to be answered regarding this severe drug shortage, I think the most pressing one is: Why wasn’t anyone paying attention before we got into this mess in the first place?”
Modern Healthcare writer David May suggests that the Occupy Wall Street movement could be a model for the kind of protest that could be used by Americans who are frustrated with this situation.
“Another place that might be ripe for ‘occupation’ by angry Americans—specifically healthcare leaders such as hospital pharmacy managers—are the home offices of companies responsible for creating and perpetuating the drug shortages healthcare providers continue to grapple with,” writes May. “The bigger target would be those companies profiting the most from what has been dubbed the ‘gray market’ for vital pharmaceuticals in short supply at hospitals and physician offices.”
The University of Utah Drug Information Service reports a record high of shortages in the first half of 2011—180 different drugs were in short supply; and by the end of the year, the university estimates that at least 360 drug products will be unavailable. As of September 26, there were 210 reported drug shortages, as compared with 211 for the entirety of 2010.
A variety of organizations, including the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), the University of Michigan Health System and the Premier healthcare alliance say that most hospitals are experiencing shortages of a variety of medicines, all of which has adversely affected patient care.
Shortages mean the use of alternative drugs, lower dosages or different dosage forms. These practices can increase the risk of medical errors because the alternatives often need to be administered differently or should be used in different dosages.
Providers and pharmacists across the country are expressing concern for patient safety and well-being as the industry and the government work to find solutions.
What do you think can be done about this alarming trend? Tell us in the comments!
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