Many hospital patients are not getting potentially life-saving treatments because of what may be the largest U.S. hospital drug shortage in more than 20 years.
Most of the drugs in short supply are injectables, including sedating agents such as propofol (Diprivan), the popular blood thinner heparin, and hard-hitting chemotherapy drugs like doxorubicin (Adriamycin).
"I've been in practice more than 30 years and this is the first time I've encountered shortages that may affect patient care," said Dr. Michael Link, president-elect of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Most of the drugs in short supply are injectables, including sedating agents such as propofol (Diprivan), the popular blood thinner heparin, and hard-hitting chemotherapy drugs like doxorubicin (Adriamycin).
"I've been in practice more than 30 years and this is the first time I've encountered shortages that may affect patient care," said Dr. Michael Link, president-elect of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Limited manufacturing, lagging production time, and lack of profits from these drugs are contributing to the shortage, according to an August 2010 editorial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The production cost outweighs the profits for some companies.
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