What's with the drug shortages?

Specialties Emergency

Published

What is with the shortages of morphine, epi, propofol and other various meds? A medic told me that they are also out of the 10ml epi syringes and have to use the ampules. Just wondering how many other facilities are being hit by this?

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Diamorphine is heroin. Oddly enough there is no shortage of that particular substance in my neck of the woods...

:bdyhdclp:TOO FUNNY!!!!!!! YOu need to have a spit alert warning because diet pepsi is now covering my computer!!!

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

That I know of no factory has burned down.

According to an article: Shortages are related to lack of raw materials to produce medications,

government regulations (the FDA), recalls, poor inventory management, distribution problems and hoarding in some pharmacies.

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2010/08/04/institute-for-safe-medication-practices-drug-shortages-unprecedented/

(but the fire story sounds more dramatic)

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
That I know of no factory has burned down.

According to an article: Shortages are related to lack of raw materials to produce medications,

government regulations (the FDA), recalls, poor inventory management, distribution problems and hoarding in some pharmacies.

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2010/08/04/institute-for-safe-medication-practices-drug-shortages-unprecedented/

(but the fire story sounds more dramatic)

I have also noticed that they aren't keeping a huge surplus on hand. Not only drugs but supplies too!!!!!

They are "tightening the belt" so to speak....:rolleyes:

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Specializes in ER.

definitely where I work. Shortages on 2 and 4 mg Morphine Carpujets.

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Specializes in ER.
We're short on Heparin as well. We're short on a lot of things! We have a limited Pyxis anyway -- we're a 15-bed, freestanding ED, so we don't have a pharmacy on site. Last week we had to rob our Pyxis and all our RSI kits so I could mix a Vecuronium drip (yes, a Vec drip) for an intubated patient. We literally used every last vial of Vec. Crazy. And scary!

vec drip at a freestanding ED? Don't you ship them out?

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
vec drip at a freestanding ED? Don't you ship them out?

Yep, once we can and they're stable. In the meantime, anything goes. :D

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Specializes in ED staff.

here it's Bumex instead of Lasix etc

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Specializes in ED.

WOW, I thought it was just our facility that had the shortages, man this really must be serious. I really hate that we have to waste so much morphine, because we are out of 2mg and 4mg's also. I thought it was just us. It almost seem ridiculous that the drug companies couldnt forsee the future!?!?!?!?

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OBAMACARE......................

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.

I think I must have given the last IV Bactrim piggyback on Earth!

Okay, I'm kidding, but right after I gave a dose of it last week, a message from pharmacy came across my computer that there was no more due to a national shortage.

This one I don't mind so much - I HATE mixing that stuff!

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Specializes in ER.

Us too....

We only have 8mg of morphine and 2mg dilaudid (which i hope they run out of forever) It doesnt make sense bc we have to waste 4mg of morphine to give a 4mg dose! No wonder we're short

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Wondering what would happen to our census if we put up an "out of Dilaudid due to national shortage" sign on the front door. :D

Right now we're still out of stuff like pre-mixed Heparin drips, but we're back in stock with all concentrations of morphine and Dilaudid. For a while, we only had the 10 mg morphine carpujects, and we were wasting 6 to give 4, or even wasting 8 to give 2. Crazy.

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