Why The Med Shortage?

[PITA]

Being a relatively long user of SR/ER more feen I have been getting a hard time and very costly increases over it this year. It's a long ride to my Dr which is in a big city, but today was like none other I've ever seen. After driving 60 miles, getting my Rx, and driving back to a rural area to fill it there was none to be found. 

There's two small cities close to me that have 4 pharms. Mine kept me waiting a long time, only to call me back up to the drop off point to say they had none, and wouldn't until after the New Year. I ended up driving almost all the way back to the big city, 40 miles away from where I tried filling it first, before finding a chain store which had both my sizes (100/30) and the liquid. One small pharm, which is what I prefer using, declined me saying they couldn't get enough to fill current customers. 

Anyone have any idea what is causing the problem? Since the first of the year my cost has risen from a low of 80 ducks to a high of 280 for 90 X the biggest size. Are they cutting it all down in Afghan, is it the farms, gov't or what?

Every one that was out said it would be the 2nd before they could get more. I did eventually find it, but got told no so many times I was afraid I'd end up in the hospital just to get my meds. I'm just wondering where the choke point suddenly came up in something that has been around for decades. Anyone know something I don't?

Thanks in advance for any information.

-P

 

[Jewbacca]

Outside of simple supply and demand factors, I can't explain the price increase for that particular med without conducting further research, but as far as your difficulty in finding it at all recently, my assumption would be that the pharmacies in your area have hit their annual distribution quotas. Where controlled medication is concerned, particularly higher scheduled meds, manufacturers are given strict production caps by the federal government. As a result, they limited their distributors to maximum annual distribution volumes, who in turn limit their pharmacy customers. Once these thresholds are reached, there simply is no more available until the next calendar year. Given that we're just short of January 1st, I would guess that this is the explanation for what you're experiencing. Supply quotas will reset on January 1st, and prices may fall slightly at the same time. Pharmaceutical manufacturers do closely track where they stand throughout the year in terms of units sold of a particular medication versus their federally mandated production quotas, and if they see demand outpacing supply caps, they adjust pricing upward in light of the demand. Again, I would guess that this is at least part of the reason behind what you're experiencing.

 

[Aunt Pitty Pat]

I could be wrong but I think there is a shortage of lots of meds that have lost their patents. I heard a story on NPR recently that some really minor pill like a vitamin was virtually unavailable and this pill though minor to most people is necessary to keep people alive who a specific illness. The story went on to tell that patients were needing transplants earlier than expected because said medicines were unavailable. Meds that are used in chemo are also in short supply.

Basically as soon as the drug company loses the patent they are doing a good deed by continuing to manufacture the generic option of said med. Moorf1ne hasn't been "name brand" in god knows how long. Honestly I'm surprised you can find it at all.

My pharmacist is awesome and he told me that I'm lucky to get my n0rk0. I'm convinced that is why we have re formulated 0ksee and 0p4n4. I feel sure it has less to do with abuse and more to do with money. If I were you I'd tell my doc that I was having trouble filling my script. I did with mine and now he fills it for me at the hospital. It saves me a lot of grief.

Good luck to you. I hope you can find some relief. Honestly it shouldn't be this hard to purchase prescribed meds.

 

[PITA]

@ Jewy - Thanks, that explains a lot of the problem I suppose. I know I was lucky and got mine but wish my long time farm had told me of an impending shortage. They didn't even bother calling to try and find it for me. I put my GPS on "Shopping", then "Pharmacies" and stopped at every one along the drive back to the city until I found it.  

@ Aunt PP - Given the fact the cost of the med is so high now, 3 ducks for 1 hunerd mg, as opposed to under a buck at the beginning of 2013, the mfg are making pretty good money I would think. It actually was 80 for a refill until April, then it jumped to 230, went back to 80, up to 230 and stayed there until the last 2 months, when it rose another $50. 

What makes me go "huh" is how this year is the first time I've had any problem with supply. Even though I use the same farm for a long time a new lady pharmacist  wanted to turn me away 3 or 4 months back. Why? Because I only purchase controlled meds. A car wreck and diseases have left me in chronic pain. Economics forces me to purchase other stuff, like Cymbalta and most anything "new" for Chrones and IBS, from Canada or India because if I used my Medicare to buy it locally I'd be out of coverage around June. Therefore I only purchase what has to be written and filled locally and eat the cost of the others or just don't take it. Looking fine but hurting like hell was a problem with Drs long ago, but this year is the first time a farm has hassled me over it. 

I'll definitely have to talk to my Dr asap and set up a backup plan because I was having a panic attack trying to get my meds yesterday.