Physicians and hospitals have taken different approaches to weathering the drug shortage, according to the report. Some facilities have stocked up on certain prescriptions they believe might come into higher demand; others work with physicians to find substitutions for affected drugs.
Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Harrisonburg, Va., works with other area hospitals and health officials to make sure patients are not harmed by the shortage. This often means facilities must ration their use of certain drugs to make sure patients in serious need of affected drugs can still receive them.
The FDA has cited manufacturing delays and unexpected increased demand as reasons for the shortage. The agency is only required to give providers advance notice if a medication is being discontinued — not if a medication is in short supply.
Read the WHSV report on drug shortages.
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