By Eunice B.Reference Librarian
Maybe you’ve seen all the items in the news lately about shortages of important “medically necessary” drugs. You might be tempted to dismiss this problem as something that doesn’t affect you, but wait-the shortages may include cancer drugs, anesthetics used for patients having surgery, injectibles used in emergency treatment, electrolytes, and medicines that many Americans take daily for chronic conditions. More interested in this topic now?
Monitoring production supplies and shortages and working closely with U.S. drug makers is one of the most important jobs of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (fda.gov). According to the FDA, “…the number of drug shortages has tripled over the last six years-jumping from 61 drug products in 2005 to 178 in 2010…” Valerie Jensen, an FDA pharmacist and expert on drug shortages, says the agency “is doing everything within its regulatory authority to address these shortages when they occur.”
So, what can consumers and patients do to stay informed about this crucial topic? The first and most important step is to be in touch with your medical care provider. Together you can assess your specific needs and situation. Second, take a look at the FDA’s list of current drug shortages. Start at fda.gov/drugs, and then choose Drug Safety & Availability from the menu. That page includes a section called Drug Shortages.
To have information about drug shortages and other consumer updates automatically emailed to you, sign up for the FDA’s newsletter. Visit fda.gov/ForConsumers and click on Consumer Updates to see a link called Get Consumer Updates by Mail. You can also choose to get the information via RSS feed.
And don’t forget the Capital Area District Library as a resource for information. We have up-to-date books, magazines and a wide variety of databases on the topics of medicine, health and well-being. We also offer a service on our website that allows you to ask simple reference questions (cadl.org/ask) and get a personal response.
The Capital Area District Library Reference Department is located at 401 S. Capitol Avenue in Lansing, MI. Contact them at 517-367-6346 or by e-mail at reference@cadl.org.
This was printed in the July 3, 2011 – July 16, 2011 Edition
