Drug Shortage

Drug shortages cast as "national epidemic."
The St. Petersburg (FL) Times (5/12, Maher) reports on "the growing ranks of Americans affected by a national epidemic of drug shortages" that have made it difficult to find "certain antibiotics, high blood pressure medicine, and muscle relaxants" as well as injectable gold, ADHD medications. "Even more worrisome are shortages of injected drugs used for cancer treatment, anesthesia during surgeries and other life-saving functions." The shortage of generic drugs is "particularly critical to people whose insurance will pay only for generics." The FDA "maintains a website that lists medically necessary products -- used to treat serious illnesses -- that are difficult or impossible to get," and "as of Wednesday there were 192 drugs on the shortage list."