Tried to order local anesthetic today. We had a list of stuff to order, really, gal is going down her list, gets to lidocaine and it is too bad, out of stock. Looks like the primary producer quit making it, and other companies have not picked up the slack yet. I could see this causing a lot of problems
Can you get plain?
We're not having any issues that I know of.
We can't use it with the epinephrine, since it causes local necrosis in dogs and cats. I use more bupivacaine anyway.
There are huge shortages on a lot of basic meds.
My department can't even get D50 for one. Even 1L bags of saline are hard to get, causing a policy change to using a lock when feasible. I'd have to count, but there's over a dozen commonly used meds that are short on our protocol list.
The saline shortages are due to Puerto Rico's issues still, aren't they?
9.6% Lidocane, just sayin...
NPR was talking about this the other day. It stuck in my mind because I'm a manufacturing geek.
Apparently Pfizer controls something like 75% of the injectables market with most of them coming from the McPherson plant in Kansas that they picked up when Pfizer aquired Hospira.
As it turns out, the McPherson plant wasn't as sterile as it should be so the FDA and Pfizer have had it shut down for the last five months for overhaul. None of the remaining suppliers have enough excess capacity to make a dent in the demand, and even if they did supposedly the DEA is restricting base materials, which has lead to the shortages.
It doesn't make sense to add the capacity either since Pfizer will likely come back online prior to the necessary manufacturing equipment being delivered to the smaller suppliers.
Hospitals out here have been rationing what they have but I know they're getting a bit thin.
I bet my dad is glad he retired from Pfizer last year... especially since he had to deal with product supply, pricing, recalls, etc... and double especially since the was actually a Hospira guy.
There are various shortages of everything at some point right now.
Not to mention the FDA berkeleying over the public by denying previously grandfathered drugs.....
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