There are shortages of a lot of popular medications. Asking at my HMO’s pharmacy, they told me that the drug manufacturers are being limited by the federal government. They are having trouble acquiring some of the chemical components of their drugs. (The pharmacist, an Indian guy, then went on a long conservative rant, which I enjoyed.) I certainly believe the first part, about the government regulating drug companies’ output. Unsure about the second part, difficulty acquiring chemicals.
Drug shortages have increased dramatically in the U.S. over the past six years, particularly for generic injected drugs, which are the workhorses of hospitals but are difficult to make and produce little profit for drug makers.
The shortages are caused primarily by problems with sterility and other serious issues that have led to shutdowns of production lines and occasionally entire factories. In addition, consolidation among generic drug manufacturers, as well as manufacturers deciding to end production of marginally profitable drugs, has led to decreased capacity. That means when one manufacturer suddenly stops production, the small number of others making a drug can't quickly pick up slack.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/02/21/fda-new-suppliers-to-ease-2-cancer-drug-shortages/#ixzz1no4GQcCq
(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.