In the upcoming days and weeks, shortages of a drug that hospitals and emergency departments use to treat breathing issues are likely to get worse, doctors warn.
The reason for this is that Akorn Pharmaceuticals, one of the two largest U.S. manufacturers of liquid albuterol, abruptly lay off its entire personnel and shut down facilities in New Jersey, New York, and Illinois in late February.
Dr. Juanita Mora, an allergist/immunologist in Chicago and volunteer spokesman for the American Lung Association, stated that there is now just one plant left that provides liquid albuterol to all patients in the United States.
According to Bayli Larson, a strategic initiatives associate with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the situation has become even worse because the only provider of liquid albuterol is Nephron Pharmaceuticals, which has experienced manufacturing problems of its own.Institutions may have raised their orders in anticipation of the shortage to ensure they had enough on hand, which is another phenomenon that could be in play “Larson threw in. “ASHP discourages stockpiling as a countermeasure to disruptions in the medicine supply chain; yet, some institutions believe they must do it to prevent endangering patient care,” the organization said.
The scarcity occurs at a really bad moment, according to Mora.
The pollen levels will start to increase nationwide as the allergic asthma season approaches, according to Mora. “Yet because the winter in Chicago has been so mild, we are already beginning to notice the signs of allergic asthma in many children and adults. I have another asthmatic patient today.Albuterol acts upon the airways, helping them dilate to improve breathing. It’s used for a variety of breathing disorders, most commonly asthma and COPD, Mora said.
“It’s used by 25 million asthmatics in the United States — that includes 20 million adults and 5 million kids — and 24 million people with COPD or emphysema, plus anyone who suffers from any respiratory disease,” Mora said. “So this shortage is definitely concerning to the medical community.”
Liquid albuterol is typically used by emergency rooms to help people who are having a dire breathing problem. The medication is administered from a nebulizer via a mouthpiece or face mask.
