{"id":2025463,"date":"2023-09-08T04:46:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T08:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/shortages-of-generic-drugs-spur-range-of-problems-for-hospitals-and-doctors\/"},"modified":"2023-09-08T04:52:19","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T08:52:19","slug":"shortages-of-generic-drugs-spur-range-of-problems-for-hospitals-and-doctors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/shortages-of-generic-drugs-spur-range-of-problems-for-hospitals-and-doctors\/","title":{"rendered":"Generic drug shortages cause problems for hospitals and doctors."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fshortages-of-generic-drugs-spur-range-of-problems-for-hospitals-and-doctors%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2025463&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Shortages of Generic Drugs Pose Challenges for U.S. Hospitals<\/h2>\n<p>Many U.S. hospitals and treatment facilities are currently facing shortages of generic drugs, which are \u2062the \u2062more affordable alternatives\u200b to\u2062 brand-name medications. This growing problem could potentially \u200bforce doctors to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-georgia-mom-breaks-down-over-child-mask-mandate-in-schools-shame-on-us\/\" title=\"WATCH: Georgia Mom Breaks Down Over Child Mask Mandate In Schools: \u2018Shame On Us\u2019\">make difficult decisions<\/a> regarding prescriptions for ADHD treatments, antibiotics, children&#8217;s acetaminophen, and other medications that are in short supply.<\/p>\n<p>There are several factors contributing to the shortage of generic drugs and \u200dprescription medications in general. One of \u2064the main reasons is \u2064the decline in the number of drug manufacturers in the United States that produce generics. Additionally, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bipartisan-band-of-lawmakers-discusses-household-supply-chains-at-whitened-house\/\" title=\"Bipartisan band of lawmakers discusses household supply chains at Whitened House\">global supply chain<\/a> has become overly complicated due to the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic, leaving some patients struggling to access life-saving\u200c medications. Furthermore, government policies aimed at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/votes-on-build-back-better-infrastructure-bill-delayed-as-democrats-scramble-to-reach-agreement-on-lowering-drug-costs\/\" title=\"Votes On Build Back Better, Infrastructure Bill Delayed As Democrats Scramble To Reach Agreement On Lowering Drug Costs\">lowering drug costs<\/a> may be unintentionally exacerbating the problem.<\/p>\n<h3>Shortages Extend Beyond Commonly Used Pharmaceuticals<\/h3>\n<p>The shortage of generic drugs is \u2063not limited to widely used \u200bpharmaceuticals like the antibiotic amoxicillin.\u200c Cancer drugs such as carboplatin, cisplatin, and doxorubicin are also experiencing a shortage in supply.<\/p>\n<p>A recent \u2064survey conducted by \u200bthe National Comprehensive\u200c Cancer Network revealed that over 90% of cancer\u2064 centers have faced difficulties in obtaining enough carboplatin, a chemotherapy drug used to treat \u200cvarious types of cancer including ovarian, lung, and \u200dbreast \u200ccancer.<\/p>\n<p>The American Society \u2062of Health-System Pharmacists has listed over 240 \u200cdrugs that are currently in short supply. A poll conducted by the organization found that nearly one-third \u200bof hospitals \u200bare rationing or \u200cdelaying the prescription of medications. Almost\u200b all of the 1,100 hospitals surveyed \u200dreported struggling with some degree\u200d of drug shortage.<\/p>\n<p>Generic drugs are particularly vulnerable to\u200b shortages, accounting for over 70% of all \u2064drug\u2064 shortages according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ASHP CEO Paul Abramowitz has expressed\u2064 concern about the lack of alternatives \u2063for affected drugs, which puts patients at risk.<\/p>\n<p>A study published in the Journal of the American\u200d Medical Association found that a shortage of norepinephrine, a drug used to treat septic shock, resulted in an increase in patient deaths.<\/p>\n<h3>Causes and Implications of the Shortage<\/h3>\n<p>Defining a shortage \u200bis not straightforward. The FDA defines a shortage as a situation where the total supply of \u2062all versions of a commercially available product cannot \u2063meet the current demand. However, the \u200dduration of the shortage \u200dis not taken into account. A drug that falls short of demand for a few days may\u2064 not be considered a shortage.<\/p>\n<p>Geoffrey Joyce, director of health policy at the University of Southern California Schaeffer \u200bCenter, emphasizes that the drug shortage problem is not transient but rather an ongoing issue. While drug shortages have been a concern for over a decade, the pandemic \u2064has exacerbated the\u2064 problem.<\/p>\n<p>During the pandemic, factory shutdowns in China, a major supplier of basic \u2064ingredients for pharmaceuticals\u200b and generics, disrupted the supply chain. India, a significant manufacturer of generics, also restricted exports to ensure domestic availability. These factors have contributed to the exaggeration of drug shortages.<\/p>\n<p>Quality problems also contribute to the\u2064 shortage. For instance, the FDA discovered significant\u200c quality violations at an Intas Pharmaceuticals plant in India, \u2062which produces\u200c about half of the \u2063cisplatin \u2064supplied to the U.S. The resulting shutdown of the \u2063plant led to a scarcity of \u200cthe cancer drug in the country.<\/p>\n<p>Market failure is another underlying issue. While <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/shortages-of-generic-drugs-spur-range-of-problems-for-hospitals-and-doctors\/\" title=\"Generic drug shortages cause problems for hospitals and doctors.\">newer patented drugs yield substantial profits<\/a>, the profit margins for generic drugs are \u2064slim, regardless of their importance in treatment. Drug manufacturers and the supply chain prioritize return \u2063on investment, which can lead to a lack \u2063of production for generic drugs.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the shortage, California passed a law allowing the state \u2062to partner with drug manufacturers to produce generic drugs. The state has already contracted with generic drug company Civica to produce insulin. While California expects this effort to be profitable, taxpayers may bear some of\u200b the costs.<\/p>\n<p>Government\u2063 policies have also been identified as \u200da driver of shortages. Federal law \u2062requires drugmakers to issue rebates for generic drugs purchased by Medicaid, and manufacturers must provide price discounts for generic\u200c drugs included on the Federal Supply Schedule. Some argue that these policies \u2064impose further price\u2062 concessions \u200con already low-priced generic drugs, potentially exacerbating shortages.<\/p>\n<h3>Future Outlook<\/h3>\n<p>Unfortunately, it is \u200dexpected that reports of potential and actual\u200b drug shortages will continue to\u2063 increase in the coming months and years, according to the FDA. This ongoing issue poses significant challenges for healthcare providers and patients alike.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/op-eds\/shortages-of-generic-drugs-pose-challenges-for-us-hospitals\">The Washington Examiner<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Generic drugs in U.S. hospitals and treatment centers are scarce, posing a challenge. This issue may lead doctors to make tough choices regarding prescriptions for ADHD, antibiotics, children&#8217;s acetaminophen, and other scarce medications. Multiple factors contribute to these shortages.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2025464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2025463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2025463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2025463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2025463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2025464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2025463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2025463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2025463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}