Anesthesia Shortages Force Hospitals to Delay Some Surgeries:

Hospitals in certain areas of the country are experiencing "critical shortages" of anesthetics, forcing operations and elective surgeries to be rescheduled, the Wall Street Journal reports. The American Society of Anesthesiologists said hospitals in both urban and rural areas are reporting shortages of many drugs, including fentanyl, a opioid used as the "principle anesthetic" in most facilities. Because of the shortage, anesthesiologists are using "second-choice" drugs, such as morphine. Joseph Deffenbaugh of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, said it is difficult to determine the "absolute" number of shortages because they are "often regional and fleeting." Deffenbaugh added that "the numbers of shortages are substantially greater than they were two to three years ago." He said, "There's been a gradual increase over the last two years, one that's been exacerbated in the last six months." In response, the anesthesiologist society has asked the FDA for assistance in alleviating the shortage. However, FDA officials do not "have a handle" on the causes of the problem, the Journal reports. The FDA said the fentanyl shortage is due to an "unexpected increase in demand." Other drugs, however, are in short supply because of problems in production or because the manufacturer opted to stop making the drugs. An FDA spokesperson said officials "are concerned about the anesthesiology drug shortage and are seriously looking into the situation" (Adams, Wall Street Journal, 3/6).