Paige Twenter
While some hospitals are paying five to 10 times more for cancer drugs during a monthslong shortage, the U.S. saw 14 new drug supply issues since early August.
Here are 14 new drug shortages, according to data from the FDA and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
Editor’s note: The drugs are listed in alphabetical order.
1. Alfuzosin extended-release tablets: Three solutions are unavailable and two are available, and the shortage is predicted to recover in August. The drug relaxes a patient’s bladder and prostate muscles.
2. Atropine sulfate ophthalmic ointment: Bausch Health is reporting a short-term shortage of the medication that’s used to dilate the pupil before eye exams. The company is the sole supplier of the solution and did not share an estimated release date.
3. Azacitidine injections: Three drugmakers stopped making 100 milligram solutions of the leukemia drug.
4. Collagenase ointments: There is not enough supply for usual ordering of the ointment that’s used to treat burned skin and skin ulcers as Smith & Nephew has two solutions on intermittent back order without a release date.
5. Glipizide XL tablets: Pfizer discontinued manufacturing the Type 2 diabetes drug.
6. Ibuprofen and famotidine tablets: Teva Pharmaceuticals and Horizon Therapeutics discontinued manufacturing the painkiller.
7. Iobenguane I-131 injections: Progenics Pharmaceuticals stopped making two solutions because of low demand for the oncology medication.
8. Iodine and potassium iodide topical solutions: Two solutions of the dermatology drug are in shortage and one solution is available. Cooper Surgical could not estimate a resupply date, and Gordon Laboratories predicted mid-September.
9. Nitroglycerin injections: One solution of the hypertension drug is available as three others are in limited supply without a release date.
10. Nystatin topical powder: Padagis has two solutions of the antifungal medication on allocation through October and one on intermittent back order. No other solutions are available.
11. Pamidronate disodium injections: Five solutions of the drug that treats bone fragility are in shortage. Viatris said it expects two products to return to normal supply levels in September, and Pfizer predicted resupply between October and January for its three solutions.
12. Piroxicam capsules: Pfizer said it is discontinuing production of the painkiller. Supply of the 20 milligram solutions is expected to last until October.
13. Tedizolid injections: As operations wind down at Nabriva Therapeutics and transition to Merck, there’s insufficient supply of the bacterial skin infection drug. Resupply is expected in late August.
14. Theophylline 24-hour extended-release capsules and tablets: Six solutions of the lung disease medication are on back order and two are available. Rhodes Pharmaceuticals could not forecast a resupply date for two of its solutions, and Endo Pharmaceuticals predicted its shortage to end in October.