Biden administration examining role of supply chain middlemen in generic drug shortages

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNBC

Published Wed, Feb 14 202412:27 PM EST


The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday said it is examining the role that drug wholesalers and companies that purchase medicines for U.S. health-care providers play in shortages of generic drugs, which account for the majority of Americans’ prescriptions.

The move follows an unprecedented shortfall of crucial medicine ranging from injectable cancer therapies to generics, or cheaper versions of brand-name medicines, over the last year, which has forced hospitals and patients to ration drugs. Problems from manufacturing quality control to demand surges can drive supply issues.

But the Biden administration is zeroing in on other players in the drug supply chain to uncover the “root causes and potential solutions” to ongoing shortages.

In a joint request for information, the FTC and the Department of Health and Human Services are seeking public comment on the contracting practices, market concentration and compensation of two types of middlemen. They are group purchasing organizations, which broker drug purchases for hospitals and other health-care providers, and drug wholesalers, which buy medicines from manufacturers and distribute them to providers.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/14/ftc-hhs-examining-cause-of-generic-drug-shortages.html

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Link to joint FTC/HHS PRESS RELEASE and RFI - FTC, HHS Seek Public Comment on Generic Drug Shortages and Competition Amongst Powerful Middlemen

[slightlv]

1. This one has been hitting me hard right over the last few months.

2 months ago, I got 30 of my hydrocodone meds. Then my doc had to call a second script in to the pharmacy for them to release the rest of the script when they could get the rest of the pills into the pharmacy.

One med I take it took me 5 days before they could get it into the pharmacy to fill it for me.

Last Friday, I called them and warned them it was coming time for my hydro to be renewed (on Sunday) and would the please refill it for me... and I'd pick it up AND the other med they'd finally gotten in for me on that Sunday. No... they couldn't do that. I'd have to call on that Sunday. So, I did call that Sunday. I got a sum total of 7 hydrocodone pills.

Monday morning I called my Doc and told her what CVS had done again, and had her call them with another script for the rest of the meds for the month. CVS said she'd know by 11am if the drugs would be in that day... and they'd go out first come; first serve. She couldn't fill my script for me, even tho she knew there'd be one coming from my doc. I was absolutely livid. It didn't help I'd been fighting a lupus flare for a week.

To move this over to, say, Dillons... they'll give me 7 pills on the first script, and then we'll have to go through this second script from the doc to get the rest. From then on, it should be okay. But now that some of my other drugs are being impacted, I've really had it up to --here-- with CVS. That makes a total of 3 drugs this has happened to me with. A pain med, a lupus drug, and a fibromyalgia drug. And it's not like they're putting themselves out for you when it happens, either. They still make you feel like a druggie just because you want the meds the doc has prescribed for you.

But this situation has gotten totally ridiculous! BTW, has anyone tried the Radio Frequency Ablation treatment? Do they do an MRI or Cat Scan to narrow down the affected nerves before doing the treatment? I'm so ready to try something new because of the hassles just trying to get my meds, and the way I'm treated while I'm trying to get them.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. "BTW, has anyone tried the Radio Frequency Ablation treatment?"

One of my sisters has RA and I *believe* that is what she has had done (twice unfortunately). It was done to try to basically fry the nerves in her lower back along the spine and down her hip/leg, that kept firing. It was an outpatient procedure (I think they use a epidural block maybe?? Trying to remember what she described as she had it done awhile ago). I only remember her mentioning getting MRIs too so I expect that is what was used to help target the area.

I know her pain med doc said that sometimes the nerves do grow back so that was one of the downsides.