Posted on 02/29/2012 12:37:51 PM PST by surroundedbyblue
I"m a nurse anesthetist, and I just got a work-related email from my boss. Basically it said "please conserve midazolam, fentanyl, morphine, and hydromorphone.....supplies are CRITICALLY short & the hospital is struggling to maintain supplies".
Um, ok. The last time I checked, this was the United States, not Crapistan. How are we "critically short" on all of the major anesthesia drugs that we use??? Am I supposed to offer the patient a bullet to bite?
Are there any FReepers out there who have ties to the pharm industry and can explain this? Speaking with others throughout the hospital, I have learned there are critical drug shortages in the ICU, ER, and oncology areas.
Obama is getting everyone use to rationing and who gets the drugs. Drugs to liberals and cold turkey to republicans.
Here’s some REAL facts.
One of the MAJOR suppliers of these meds was literally shut down by FDA for issues related to the validation of some of the manufacturing processes. Use GOOGLE to search for FDA WARNING LETTERS.
This company makes generics and during an audit the FDA found ‘deficiencies’ in how the company validated how long the drug solution (liquid) was to be MIXED before the filling operation. To me, this is one BS observation by the auditors as there are numerous downstream verifications that the solution is homogenous prior to filling and afterwards. This is but one example of the Agency halting the manufacture of these drugs.
FDA has to show results and the only way they can do it is by making observations during an audit of a pharma co.
I have been in the industry for over 35 years and have seen it all. The pharma co’s WANT to make the drugs and NEED to make them to be in business.
At some level, the government has taken control of what can be charged - what prices - for certain drugs... and the free market process had been short circuited.
Maybe your hospital is experiencing financial issues because supply isn’t that short.
Blame the FDA
FDA tells companies exactly how much they are allowed to make.
They don’t allow anyone else to take up the slack if there is a problem.
(The pharmacist,an Indian guy,then went on a long conservative rant,which I enjoyed.)
Silly Indian Guy, doesn’t he realize that he is a minority and thusly must walk lockstep with the demonrats or he is a sell out.
That's part of the answer. My son was denied one of his recent prescriptions - no supply.
My Combivent is manufactured in Germany, while Dulera is manufactured in NJ by Merck (who is known to pay off politicians for favors)
“Maybe your hospital is experiencing financial issues because supply isn’t that short.”
Uh, no. There are no financial difficulties at the facility. It’s part of a large healthcare system that’s quite profitable, despite it’s non-profit status.
Exactly what validation do you have to your claim that there’s no supply problems? Every source I’ve read has cited a shortage and there are many here experiencing the same.
Exactly what “validation” do you have to say there is a national shortage just because you think there is?
Oh great. That’s another drug I use daily. Guess we will be cutting back on that too & passing out barf bags
First the big ones stamp out the little ones and then they create a loose monopoly vital necessary commodity by agreeing to control supply and fix prices, agree not to compete, blame shortages that they created or anything that happens in nature everyday,phases of the moon,global warming, Arab snow fairies, caring not at all for the suffering they cause to their own people and their own country.
These multi-rich corporations own any and all who hold or gain political office in Washington and most states.
What do you expect when a congressional winner walks into an office with a fifty million campaign debt hanging around his neck.
He can play ball with the party establishment and be rich or stand on principles if he has any and be dead or ruined financially and career wise.
Stock up on birth control. From what I hear, the students at Georgetown are going to use up the supply.
I would begin by checking personnel in the FDA for large deposits in the last year.
My (sisters) brother-in-law is in an ICU in Hawaii on a vent and because of this shortage they had to take him off propofal and versed. My brother-in-law said they are crunching up adavan pills to keep him sufficiently sedated.
This is such a dispicable shame welcome to AMERITOPIA!
I ran into this problem last year. One of my prescriptions is for Triamterene HCL, a diuretic. I have been on it for years, and I always got the generic capsule. About a year ago it dried up. I had to get a new script for it in tablet form. 3 months later and no tablets available. I had to get another new script for the name brand version at 3x the cost.
Now, every time I need a refill I have to call and see which of the three active scripts is in stock.
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