Sixteen drugs have a high risk of supply disruption after an Illinois drugmaker ceased all operations in February, according to a March 15 report from the End Drug Shortages Alliance.
Gurnee, Ill.-based Akorn Operating Co. filed for bankruptcy, laid off hundreds and closed its plants on Feb. 23. In the weeks after, a ripple of drug shortages may be coming, such as liquid albuterol.
The End Drug Shortages Alliance includes Vizient, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Children's Hospital Association. Vizient, a consulting firm, compiled a market analysis of Akorn's 100-plus products and found 16 that are most vulnerable to a shortage based on the supplier market share and the United States Pharmacopoeia impact score.
Four of them are essential medications, including adenosine, which treats supraventricular tachycardia; calcitriol, which manages hyperparathyroidism in patients undergoing renal dialysis; dimercaprol, a metal poisoning antidote; and physostigmine, which is used in the reversal of anticholinergic syndrome.
At the end of the report, the alliance details mitigation strategies for some of Akorn's products.
Here are the 16 drugs to watch:
|
Drug |
Akorn's market share (percentage) |
Currently in shortage |
Has a mitigation strategy |
Vulnerability score (percentage) |
|
Adenosine injection |
38 |
N |
Y |
68.4 |
|
Alfentanil hydrochloride injection |
100 |
N |
N |
Not reported (NR) |
|
Calcitriol injection |
100 |
N |
Y |
82.4 |
|
Cyclopentolate ophthalmic |
35 |
N |
N |
89.2 |
|
Dimercaprol injection |
100 |
N |
Y |
28.6 |
|
Fluorescein injection |
82 |
N |
Y |
NR |
|
Hydroxyamphetamine and tropicamide ophthalmic |
100 |
N |
N |
NR |
|
Levofloxacin ophthalmic |
100 |
N |
N |
6.6 |
|
Lidocaine HCl 2% topical (mouth/throat) solution |
46 |
N |
N |
58.2 |
|
Methadone injection |
51 |
N |
N |
68.6 |
|
Phenylephrine ophthalmic |
90 |
N |
N |
2.3 |
|
Physostigmine injection |
100 |
N |
Y |
88.4 |
|
Sufentanil injection |
79 |
Y |
N |
81.8 |
|
Orphenadrine injection |
75 |
N |
N |
57.1 |
|
Tetracaine injection |
99 |
N |
Y |
7.3 |
|
Tropicamide ophthalmic |
33 |
Y |
N |
89.9 |