The number of drugs that are unavailable or in short supply has
tripled since 2010, according to the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA). Most of the drugs are generic injectables, including cancer
medications and anesthetics. "FDA has been monitoring shortages for the
last six years, and in 2010 we saw a large spike in shortages, which was
a large jump from the year before," according to Valerie Jensen,
associate director of the Drug Shortage Program at FDA's Center for Drug
Evaluation and Research. “Several different factors are contributing to
the current shortage of sterile injectables and other drugs. Some firms
decided to discontinue making their products for business reasons,
others had problems with their raw materials suppliers, some had quality
and manufacturing problems, and some were hit with an increased
demand.” But some are blaming FDA, in part, for the shortages. "FDA
enforcement actions that delay or deter the production of certain
products have also had an impact," said a spokesman for the Generic
Pharmaceutical Association.
Read more: