By Caitlin Tilley, Dailymail.Com Health Reporter
17:55 January 26, 2024, updated 19:14 January 26, 2024
- Half of Americans facing shortages have been forced to postpone or cancel treatment
- Nearly one-quarter of West Virginia adults experience medical shortages
- Read more: Big Pharma has already raised prices on 770 drugs in 2024
One in five Americans is affected by severe drug shortages, a report warns.
Manufacturing issues, supply chain issues, and natural disasters are preventing patients from receiving the medical care they need, including life-saving drugs for cancer, epilepsy, and type 2 diabetes.
Of the 19 percent who faced drug or medical device shortages in the past month, 15 percent were unable to obtain prescription drugs, 5 percent were unable to obtain over-the-counter medications, and 3 percent were unable to obtain home medical devices. did. According to an analysis of U.S. Census data by ValuePenguin.
The report suggested that the ripple effects of a series of supply chain issues that plagued 2022 may still be contributing to current medical shortages.
The pandemic is also likely to blame, causing a historic decline in manufacturing, and the coronavirus has also increased demand for many types of medicines and equipment, including Pax Lovid and N95 masks. .
Approximately 49% of Americans facing shortages have been forced to delay or completely stop treatment for their symptoms, 24% have had negative health effects, and 32% have experienced psychological distress.
Florida resident Laura Bray's daughter Abby was being treated for leukemia when she developed an anaphylactic reaction to an important drug, pegaspargase, and was unable to take it again.
Erbinase, the only “Plan B” drug, has been in short supply nationwide every year, with an average waiting list of 15 months.
Laura started a one-woman nonprofit organization called Angels for Change, and after making thousands of calls to hospitals, pharmacies, legislators and pharmaceutical companies, they found Elvinase within 10 days.
Shortages of medicines and medical devices also lead to higher costs, which are passed on to consumers in the form of increased copayments and insurance premiums.
Researchers at LendingTree insurance subsidiary ValuePenguin.com analyzed data from Week 62 of the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Expenditure Survey conducted from September 20 to October 2, 2023, the most recent data at the time of analysis.
The Household Pulse Survey aims to collect data on how emerging social and economic issues are impacting people's lives.
The survey asked whether respondents or members of their household were affected by shortages of any of the following: drugs that required a prescription or were given by a health care provider, or drugs sold without a prescription. , medical equipment or supplies used in the home such as infusion pumps, blood glucose monitors, home respirators, masks, and gloves.
Analysts used this to estimate the proportion of adults in the U.S. and each state who suffer from a shortage and its consequences.
According to the report, 31 percent of Americans who pay for prescription drugs have difficulty paying them, and 57 percent are actively worried about the future of their health care, including the cost of health insurance. It turned out that he was holding it.
The shortage was worst in West Virginia, where nearly a quarter of adults experience some type of medical shortage.
Worryingly, West Virginia has the highest drug use in the United States.
The state had the highest percentage of adults who did not have access to prescription drugs, at 20%.
South Carolina and New Hampshire were also severely affected, with 24% and 23% of adults affected, respectively.
This may be because the three states are facing a significant shortage of medical personnel.
People in Hawaii, Wisconsin, and Vermont were less affected by drug shortages, with only 11%, 14%, and 15% of adults experiencing drug shortages in the past month.
There are currently shortages of 123 drugs listed by the FDA.
Back in 2011, at least 15 deaths were blamed on drug shortages because the appropriate drugs were not available.
A 2012 study found that when drug shortages forced doctors to switch drugs in Hodgkin lymphoma clinical trials, the number of patients who were cancer-free after two years fell from 88 percent to 75 percent.
In 2022, a surge in respiratory illnesses forced drugstore chains to temporarily restrict the purchase of fever-reducing medicines for children. The antibiotic amoxicillin was also in short supply at the time.
A report compiled by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., found that injectable drugs used in hospitals and clinics, such as intravenous saline and some cancer drugs, are less effective than tablets and topical treatments. They are more than twice as likely to run into a shortage. She is a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
A national survey last year found that eight in 10 hospitals and pharmacists were rationing medicines or delaying appointments to combat severe drug shortages.
of investigation There are 309 drug shortages, the highest number in nearly a decade. This is slightly less than the previous high of 320 people.
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, a group that tracks drug availability in the United States, surveyed more than 1,000 pharmacists and found that 99% said they were having trouble keeping enough of the drugs they needed.
The group attributed the problem to limited investment in manufacturing capacity, substandard manufacturing quality, supply chain disruptions, and extreme price competition among generic drug manufacturers.
Severe shortages could result in 85% of pharmacists rationing medicines and 42% postponing or canceling treatments or procedures, potentially putting the lives of critically ill patients at risk who will no longer receive the care they need.
Health professionals surveyed highlighted that shortages are impacting patient care, with one-third of pharmacists saying shortages are having a significant impact, and more than half 57% said they were facing a particularly severe shortage of chemotherapy drugs.
In addition to chemotherapy drugs, drugs in limited supply include hormones, drugs used in intensive care units and operating rooms, and oral solutions such as the painkiller ibuprofen and the antibiotic amoxicillin.
Others include those used to manage attention deficit or hyperactivity and injecting opioids.
After chemotherapy drugs, most pharmacists say the shortages that are having a significant impact are corticosteroids and hormones.
Corticosteroids, also known as steroids, are a type of anti-inflammatory drug. Stopping such drugs suddenly can cause a person to go into withdrawal symptoms, which can cause dizziness, weakness, headaches, mood swings, and pain.
