Prescription Drugs shortages -profiting on pain for patients
Laz needs ritalin in a specific timed dosage to remain functioning all day. Along with some other controlled prescriptions - Long Covid related.
His ritilan went "on back order" late last month. And is still on backorder. He was given an alternative dosage that requires three generic Ritalin pills a day, but the pharmacy can't give him any more of any particular strength than 30 a month, and he's run out of those.
Last year, my hypertension prescription and methotrexate went through a three month "shortage", supposedly because a plant needed to be remediated because the FDA found problems, and a fire in another plant, and a hurricane...
Anyway, I don't remember hearing about such widespread shortages even 5 years ago.
And the drug companies are making record profits. So what's going on?
They pissed that Medicare can now negotiate some prices? That California is thinking about setting up manufacturing for common Medicare genetics?
Or are they just pouring the majority of their profits to advertising, shareholders and into stock buybacks instead of looking at factory investments and improvements?
Anyway, we just called our Congressman. Will be calling out Senators later. Second year in a row there's been noticable drug shortages in August/September time frame.
Anyone else having any problems (or info as to why this is happening)?
Haele