Erin Fox, associate chief pharmacy officer of University of Utah Health, told CBS MoneyWatch, that most of the drugs in short supply are generic, older products, and around half are injectable drugs that require more stringent manufacturing processes.
There are myriad reasons for the hundreds of drug shortages now facing doctors and patients, many of which remain unclear. But, as Ars has reported before, the root cause of shortages of low-cost, off-patent generic drugs is well established. These drugs have razor-thin to non-existent profit margins, driven by middle managers who have, in recent years, pushed down wholesale prices to rock-bottom levels. In some cases, generic manufacturers lose money on the drugs, disincentivizing other players in the pharmaceutical industry from stepping in to bolster fragile supply chains. Several generic manufacturers have filed for bankruptcy recently.
This makes me seethe with anger. The current regulations are not preventing abuse of medications, it is hurting people with cancer, psychiatric conditions, and a whole host of other serious illnesses.
We have somehow created a system where addicts and pushers can get plenty of supply but normal patients with legitimate pharmacological need can’t get their meds.
My proposed solution is a mixture of removing those regulations, legalizing more recreational drugs, and improving funding for addiction recovery programs.
People will use drugs recreationally regardless of legal status, it’s our choice as a society how we respond to that. I think making care available is better than locking people up and screwing over patients in the meantime…