Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
High Demand For COVID Drugs Create Shortages
Stat: As Covid-19 Intensifies, Shortages Of Staple Drugs May Grow Worse
You can add a new worry to the health concerns caused by Covid-19: a sustained shortage of a medicines needed to combat the coronavirus and countless other illnesses. Across the U.S. and Europe, 29 out of 40 drugs used to combat the coronavirus are currently in short supply. And those shortages are expected to grow even worse as the number of Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations surge in the coming winter months, according to a new report by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. (Silverman, 10/21)
NPR: Promising Antibody Drugs For COVID-19 Would Have To Be Rationed
The Food and Drug Administration is evaluating two potential drugs that could help keep people healthy after they've been infected with the coronavirus. So far, there's no clear system to make sure they would be allocated fairly or how to pay for these expensive drugs over the long haul. "Demand is going to far outstrip supply here," says Rena Conti at Boston University's Questrom School of Business. (Harris, 10/21)
CIDRAP: Report Details COVID-19 Drug Shortages—And Solutions
Researchers lay out not only how the US drug supply chain has been vulnerable for years, but how those vulnerabilities are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To transform what the authors call a "fail and fix" approach to a "predict and prevent" paradigm, they offer nine specific recommendations that involve a more coordinated national policy framework to track, identify, mitigate, and prevent drug shortages using a transparent database of drug supply chains. This public database would encompass all prescription drug products in the US market, and analysis of the data would focus on the most critical drugs and the consequences that would likely be experienced if there is a shortage. (McLernon, 10/21)
In related news —
The California Health Report: For Medically Fragile Children, Pandemic-Induced Supply Shortages Continue
Suppliers and parents began reporting shortages — most notably of ventilator circuits — early in the pandemic. Now, they say the problem is ongoing and kids are paying the price. (Boyd-Barrett, 10/21)
