Shortage of vital drugs in the U.S.

Between 2005 and 2010, the number of treatment difficult or impossible to find tripled. A report by the Food and Drug Administration (U.S. health agency), 178 treatments are now in short supply or partial and mainly of essential medicines like anti-cancer or anesthetics. But this information, if it takes an official tone with this report, was already well known. From last year, the union of hospital pharmacists U.S. made public a survey of 1800 health professionals who stated that a pharmacist was alerted to five negative consequences (ranging up to death) for their patients because of shortages repeated drug. The union at the time spoke of a "major national health crisis." Last June, it is the American Hospital Association, which conducted the survey of 820 U.S. hospitals. Over 80% of these hospitals have had to delay treatment of patients because of shortages, while 70% gave their patients the products less effective and 80% have rationed or restricted access.
Production problems

Different factors, mainly economic, behind these shortages. According to Cynthia Reilly, head of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, a charitable non-profit organization, told AFP, "A lot of these shortages due to quality problems in production: an increasing number of drugs from abroad, forcing laboratories to stop producing them. " In addition to the relocation, laboratories halt the production of certain generic drugs effective but unprofitable.

The FDA also points to the shortcomings of U.S. law. Indeed, the FDA can not force a laboratory to produce a drug. Worse, the pharmaceutical industry is not constrained to prevent the U.S. Health Agency of its intention to terminate the production of a treatment. Two bills are under consideration in Congress to address these shortcomings.