Focus at Four: How generic drug shortages are affecting local pharmacies, patients
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – United States officials are trying to get to the bottom of what may be contributing to ongoing shortages of generic drugs at healthcare facilities.
The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Health and Human Services are launching an inquiry into the issue.
They plan to look at drug and wholesale companies to see if there is a disruption in the supply chain.
Bessem Oben, the pharmacy manager and COO of GoldStar Pharmacy, joined First News at Four on Thursday and said that local pharmacies and patients have been seeing the effects of the shortages.
“We’ve been having a hard time sourcing some medications for pain management, some medications for managing ADHD, and recently we’ve started to notice difficulty in sourcing medications for things like diabetes, and even medications to help with chemotherapy,” she said.
Oben expressed that she has seen patients have to discuss medication alternatives with their healthcare providers.
“Others who may have been controlled on these drugs for several years may have to struggle with switching to a different class of drugs, or a different drug within the same class. It’s been challenging for certain patients and providers,” she said.
Oben also says that having a good relationship with your provider or pharmacist is an important part of ensuring that you are as educated as possible about your medication and its availability.
