Drug shortages is a topic which has come up here often because they
also happen with veterinary drugs and with drugs used both by our
companions of many feet and ourselves.
Just in very recent years the number of drug shortages per year that
have been averted has improved greatly and the reporting of possible
upcoming ones has improved. That's good, but the hope is to get it
better.
Offhand, the problem is very complex. In some cases there are not
dedicated production lines (which is why Purvax is unavailable on and
off, of course). In some cases there are orphan drugs not used by many
and there are programs to protect at least some of those meds in place
in this country (U.S.) and probably elsewhere. For some meds the
competition by generic makers causes production cutbacks in the
original or even ending that product line. Meanwhile, some drugs --
with a number now made many places in the world and imported -- have
had recalls in *some cases* attached to poor quality control or to
problems with storage during transportation. The problem has become
very complex. A person has to wonder if it might pay for a nation to
"bank" the most essential drugs just we keep a strategic oil reserve.
That itself would be costly, though. Just keeping track of the storage
conditions and differing expirations would be very difficult so it
would have limits for which drugs could be included.
The request for ideas:
<http://blogs.fda.gov/fdavoice/index.php/2013/02/fda-is-asking-the-public-to-send-in-ideas-for-combating-drug-shortages/>
Sukie (not a vet) Ferrets make the world a game.
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/http://ferrethealth.org/archive/http://www.miamiferret.org/http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/http://www.ferretcongress.org/http://www.trifl.org/index.shtmlhttp://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
A nation is as free as the least within it.
[Posted in FML 7703]
