The U.S. is experiencing a shortage of certain prescription drugs. Medications including chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics, ADHD medication and more are in short supply, making treatment decisions difficult for doctors and patients.
The shortage comes in the wake of the temporary closure of a drug manufacturing facility in India after the Food and Drug Administration discovered quality control issues. “They were manufacturing stuff that was toxic, that shouldn’t have been used, shouldn’t have been manufactured or sent here,” U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th) said. A recent survey found more than 90% of cancer centers reported shortages of commonly used chemotherapy drugs.
Medical professionals are calling on Congress to act. “There’s nothing worse than having to tell a parent ‘Sorry, we can’t find the antibiotic for your child,’” said Audra Manekas, the director of a specialty pharmacy at Hackensack Meridian Health. “What’s worse is that we don’t have it, and we can’t get it.”
