December 14, 2011
As officials and lawmakers with the federal government work to create legislature that could help end drug shortages in hospitals across the country, facilities in Indiana are struggling to meet patient and monetary demands the shortages are creating. In an investigative article by WISHTV 8 News, it was said that Hoosier hospitals may be completely out of some drugs, like the pain-killer morphine in 5 mg dosages, and severely limited with other drugs like cancer treatments and vitamin infusions for patients fed intravenously.
Columbus Regional Hospital Pharmacy Team Leader Matt Hote says he is having a hard time getting a drug called epinephrine. It can be life-saving for a person whose heart has stopped–one dose can be enough to get the heart pumping again. Hote stated though that if the drug is not a contracted order, it can cost him anywhere from 10 to 20 times higher than the retail price.
So what is being done to fix the problem? The FDA is creating rules that will require drug manufacturers to give a six-month warning before stopping production of a drug. Congress is also working to make price gouging on drugs illegal.
The Indiana Medical Malpractice Lawyers with Stewart and Stewart know the dangers that these drug shortages can put a patient in. If you have been injured or lost someone you love because a hospital did not have the drugs needed, contact us today for a free initial consultation of your case.