Pharmaceuticals Tag Archive
Canadian Drug Shortages: Getting Worse Before It Gets Better
Mar 18, 2012Posted By: igorUnder: General News
Concern about the availability of extremely important injectable drugs is growing across Canada. Previously, the reason behind our increasing number of shortages was a mystery. The reason for this shortage is however, quite clear. Sandoz Canada, a major producer of injectable antibiotics, pain medication and anti-cancer drugs, had to shut down its plant in Quebec after receiving and ignoring warning letters from the Food and Drug Administration. The warnings began early in 2011 when it was found that Sandoz was violating the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations.
(To view a copy of one of these letters visit: http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm281843.htm ).
The plant was responsible for producing 90% of Canada’s injectable drugs. Without the production from this plant, other companies are trying to increase their production to ward of supply issues. However, they are fighting from behind as no one expected this major injectables producer to shut down. This brings about the question, if there was any threat that this plant may be shut down why were other companies that could solve distribution shortages not notified before it was too late? The government is taking heat over this issue and is trying to find a solution to prevent this problem in the future, for now it is too late.
The Sandoz plant is stated to be up and running in the near future, what this means no one knows, but in the meantime obtainin...
