This is from the Fox channel in Louisville,KY. Louisville is the largest city in the state of KY and and covers some 8-12 counties in Southern Indiana. I have reached out to the new desk at WDRB and the person I talked to was going to pass my name and phone to the reporter. Click on the hyperlink below to see the 1+ minute piece on the 6PM news cast
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — More than a dozen pharmacies in southern Indiana said this week they aren’t accepting new prescriptions for Oxycodone due to supply issues. Most said they don’t even have enough medication to fill the prescriptions that have already been written, an issue leaving patients scrambling and in pain.
The cause, pharmacists said, is unclear. Some outright said it isn’t a manufacturer issue but rather a problem with “doctors over-prescribing it”. Others said it’s not a shortage of Oxycodone itself, instead blaming the caps put in place to limit how many Oxycodone pills pharmacies can give out due to its addictive nature.
Deborah Wininger, who takes 11 medications per day after breaking her back and suffering disc and nerve damage, is running out of what she desperately needs.
“I can barely walk without pain medication,” Wininger, who lives in southern Indiana, said. “I’ve got a lot of reasons to hurt.”
Shortages of several prescription drugs are growing in the United States, and experts see no clear path to resolving them. For patients, that can mean treatment delays, medication switches and other hassles filling a prescription.
“I was really frustrated,” Wininger said. “This isn’t fair.”
In recent months, unexpected demand spikes, manufacturing problems and tight ingredient supplies have contributed to shortages that stress patients, parents and doctors. For some drugs, such as stimulants that treat ADHD, several factors fueled a shortage and make it hard to predict when it will end.
“I called about every pharmacy in southern Indiana, and nobody had (oxycodone),” Wininger said. “I started getting worried because I thought ‘This is gonna affect a lot of people.'”
Norton Pharmacy said it hasn’t experienced a shortage yet.
Shortages, particularly of generic drugs, have been a longstanding problem. The industry has consolidated and some manufacturers have little incentive to solve shortages because cheap generics generate thin profits.
Factories in China and India supply most of the raw materials used in American medicines. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, India restricted exports of 13 active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished drugs made from those chemicals, to protect its domestic drug supply.
And during the pandemic, prescriptions climbed as regulators started allowing doctors to prescribe the drug without first seeing a patient in person. For example, prescriptions for Adderall and its generic equivalents jumped 20% between February 2020 and the end of last year, according to IQVIA.
Wininger is still trying to make sure she’s covered, and she fears what’s next.
“If I can’t find it anywhere, I’m going to see withdrawals,” Wininger said. “I’m going to be really sick, and I’m going to be in a lot of pain.”
Once shortages develop, they can last years. And it can be tough for patients to get reliable information. University of Utah Health researcher Erin Fox said there is no legal requirement for drugmakers to update the public.
Filed under: General Problems
So, I’m an hour south of Louisville and yes, it’s anHUGE problem. I’ve never had issue until 2 months ago. First I was told my pharmacy had met their limit but was also out. I FINALLY found one who had in stock but wouldn’t fill it for 2 days. I’m like 30 ppl will come in behind me and it’ll be gone. He filled it in a bottle and set it aside for 2 days. Cool. Then this last fill, NOONE had it. Was about to give up when I found a pharmacy next county over. Had to call dr office, pull it, and resend. Also had to request a vacation break to fill early JUST so I could get it. I have no hope for next month. They have the brand name all day long. But the quantity I take even with GoodRx is $600. I’m lucky that I can swing $200/$300 but not $600. Especially when I should pay $7.50. I may have to switch to hydrocodone even though it’s not as strong as oxycodone. They do have hydro. They are turning ppl away because they cannot get it. There is a shortage. It’s not just KY either.
suggest you read these – there is no shortage !!! https://www.pharmaciststeve.com/dea-surrogates-are-trying-to-throttle-the-availability-of-controlled-meds-to-pts/
Here is the SMOKING GUN to prove civil rights violations – could support a class action lawsuit – but the community needs to stand up https://www.pharmaciststeve.com/42259-2/
https://www.pharmaciststeve.com/interesting-concept-could-be-a-funding-source-for-the-community-to-take-healthcare-corp-to-court/
[…] pharmacists said, they aren't accepting new prescriptions for Oxycodone […]
I cannot freaking believe that nowhere did they mention the fact that the DEA has been cutting production quotas of ALL opioids for years –ya think that might have something to do with shortages?? And to have somebody say it’s b/c docs are prescribing too much…..!!!! What bloody planet is that idiot from??
Luckily, I got 2 prescriptions in 3 months.
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The problem, as I see it, is these refusals and complaints about overprescribing physicians is nothing is ever mentioned about relief of pain.
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Nothing is mentioned about surgery, either pain leading to surgery nor post surgical pain. Nothing ever said about residual pain not relieved by any type of treatment. Not mentioned is made about quality of life.
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Why should a patient have to suffer unnecessarily because pain relief is withheld? Especially spine pain. Spine pain is insidious and spinal pain is often referred to different places in your body. When I fractured c2 It hurt in my neck/back throat area. C2 is up in your skull.
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What is to become of us? I have toughed it out as long as I can. I don’t go out to dinner, nor to vacation.. I rarely go shopping because I can’t make it out to my car when I am done. I ration myself because I fear getting cut-off the medication I put off taking so long. I honestly think my pain is so dier now due to damage done, not getting legitimate pain relief.