U.S. facing shortage of injected painkillers

[TexasTowelie]

Another opioid crisis is happening in the U.S., and it has nothing to do with overdoses: Hospitals in many part of the country are frequently running out of widely used injected painkillers.

Manufacturing shortages are forcing many doctors and pharmacists to sometimes ration injected opioids, reserving them for the patients suffering most. Other patients get slower-acting or less effective pain pills, alternatives with more side effects or even sedation.

-snip-

Earlier this month, the American Medical Association declared drug shortages a public health crisis, saying it will urge federal agencies to examine the problem as a national security threat and perhaps designate medicine factories as critical infrastructure.

Shortages steal time from patient care, increase hospitals’ costs and affect just about every department, including operating rooms, emergency departments and cancer clinics. Doctors occasionally find opioids missing from emergency carts and surgery supply trays, “borrowed” by colleagues needing them for patients.

Read more: https://www.news-journal.com/news/local/u-s-facing-shortage-of-injected-painkillers-but-longview-hospitals/article_ac35d218-7afb-11e8-bd3e-b747cbecae4f.html

[mucifer]

1. I am a hospice nurse. We have never run out. But for the last

year or so it's been a constant worry. Our pharmacy told us it's because of corporate buy out and greed. There aren't as many companies that are compounding the opioids because it's more profitable to compound less meds.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Limiting the pain killers and throttling the internet

feel the pain time. curious. if apparently unconnected events.