The US has its first novel coronavirus-related drug shortage

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The United States has its first novel coronavirus-related drug shortage, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. The maker of an unnamed drug that has recently been added to the FDA Drug Shortages list told the agency that the shortage is due to the novel coronavirus.

On Tuesday, the FDA warned that these types of shortages could happen, and said it was monitoring the situation closely. The agency identified 20 drugs that either solely sourced their active pharmaceutical ingredients, or produced finished drug products, from or in China.

The unnamed company that notified the FDA about a shortage said the problem is the result of an issue with the manufacturing of an active pharmaceutical ingredient used in the drug.

The US relies heavily on Chinese-made drug ingredients, medical devices and drugs that are used in humans and animals. As of 2018, China ranked second among countries that exported drugs and biologics to the US, and ranked first for medical devices, according to the FDA.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/the-us-has-its-first-novel-coronavirus-related-drug-shortage/ar-BB10vgxQ?ocid=msn360

Outsourcing our drug manufacturing, brilliant!!!!

[applegrove]

1. Also with robotics instead of people in factories today how can they ramp up

making masks and gloves and other medical equipment that will be needed? The whole thing is terrifying.

[scarletwoman]

2. "Outsourcing our drug manufacturing" - that's been the case for a long time now.

Check out this book, China RX: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37492588-china-rx

China Rx: Exposing the Risks of America's Dependence on China for Medicine
by Rosemary Gibson

Millions of Americans are taking prescription drugs made in China and don't know it--and pharmaceutical companies are not eager to tell them. This is a disturbing, well-researched wake-up call for improving the current system of drug supply and manufacturing.

Several decades ago, penicillin, vitamin C, and many other prescription and over-the-counter products were manufactured in the United States. But with the rise of globalization, antibiotics, antidepressants, birth control pills, blood pressure medicines, cancer drugs, among many others are made in China and sold in the United States.

China's biggest impact on the US drug supply is making essential ingredients for thousands of medicines found in American homes and used in hospital intensive care units and operating rooms.

The authors convincingly argue that there are at least two major problems with this scenario. First, it is inherently risky for the United States to become dependent on any one country as a source for vital medicines, especially given the uncertainties of geopolitics. For example, if an altercation in the South China Sea causes military personnel to be wounded, doctors may rely upon medicines with essential ingredients made by the adversary. Second, lapses in safety standards and quality control in Chinese manufacturing are a risk.

Citing the concerns of FDA officials and insiders within the pharmaceutical industry, the authors document incidents of illness and death caused by contaminated medications that prompted reform.

This probing book examines the implications of our reliance on China on the quality and availability of vital medicines.

Also take a look at this clip: https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4814542/user-clip-industrial-base-making-medicine-collapsing