The American College of Emergency Medicine has sent out information recently indicating
that experts in a new article recommend strategies for managing increasing shortages of
crucial drugs used in treating medical emergencies. During the past few years, emergency
departments have experienced shortages of, for example, naloxone, tetanus toxoid,
prochlorperazine, fentanyl, and
succinylcholine. In addition, even drugs that can be substituted as alternative treatment
also are in short supply. These shortages have impacted how emergency physicians care for
their patients, according to the article. (The Challenge of Drug Shortages for Emergency
Medicine, p. 598)
The study tracked drug shortages at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center in Salt
Lake City since 1995. Drug shortages affecting patients at the hospital grew from three in
1996 to 18 in 2000. In 2001, the hospital experienced a significant jump to 83 drug
shortages; 61 of these affected patients and required physician notification. Nationally,
the authors tracked 157 shortages from January 2001 through June 2002 and noted that 62
percent of these are still active and unresolved. For more information visit their web
site at www.acep.org.