The United States is currently suffering from a significant shortage of life-saving medications.
Supply chain issues have led to a scarcity of vital life-saving medications, including cancer drugs, in the U.S., according to a May 11 report from CNN. This shortage is particularly impacting commonly-used generic drugs and represents the most severe drug scarcity witnessed in nearly a decade, raising concerns that individuals may be at risk of losing their lives before the situation improves.
"China’s control of the generic drug and active pharmaceutical ingredient supply chains gives China a weapon against us," U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said on Twitter. "We have to get off China’s supply chain for the sake of our health and national security."
Millions of Americans could potentially be affected by the current shortage of medications, some of which are used to treat a range of cancers, including skin, colon, breast, pancreas, stomach cancers, certain forms of children's leukemia and metastatic ovarian and bladder cancer. These shortages are projected to continue until at least June, according to the Daily Mail.
"As first-line treatments for a number of cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer, ovarian cancer and leukemia often experienced by pediatric cancer patients, the shortage could lead to delays in treatment that could result in worse outcomes," American Cancer Society CEO Karen Knudsen said in a statement, according to Axios.
The scarcity of chemotherapy drugs poses a greater challenge in finding alternative options, intensifying the risks associated with the shortage. In contrast, other types of medications, such as antimicrobials, typically have alternative choices accessible during periods of scarcity. Presently, there is a deficit of around 24 chemotherapy drugs amid this shortage, CNN reported.
“The fact that we have this many chemo drugs in shortage is really concerning,” Michael Ganio, senior director of pharmacy practice and quality at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, said, according to CNN.
