Life Insurance Quotes

Drug shortages affect more than half a million patients

11/18/11

A drug shortage has caused more than half a million American cancer patients to be without their medication.

President Barack Obama issued an executive order in October, altering some Food and Drug Administration regulations to try to find a solution to the shortage, which administration officials have called a terrible public health situation that has created extreme problems for patient care, NPR reported.

The 200 drugs that are in short supply are mostly injectable generics, rather than those given in pill form, according to the source. Only one or two companies supply 80 percent of the affected drugs, which caused a significant issue with production.

Citing an International Marketing Services Institute for Healthcare Informatics report, NPR stated that 75 products were in short supply regardless of the number of companies making them.

More than 550,000 cancer patients were affected by the shortage between 2010 and June 30, 2011, according to the IMS report. According to the American Cancer Society, roughly 550,000 Americans were expected to die from cancer in 2010.

"For 75 products there's a shortage of the product regardless of the supplier," said Murray Atiken, head of the Intercontinental Marketing Services Institute for Healthcare Informatics.

Drug shortages could be detrimental to the health of cancer patients, as well as patients of other diseases, which may encourage more Americans to invest in life insurance in order to prepare for the future.

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