Doctors seek online database to track drug shortages

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Doctors, pharmacists seek online database to track drug shortages

Group calls on federal government to help prevent low stocks from hurting

patients By Law, Vancouver Sun May 6, 2011

Doctors and pharmacists are calling on the federal government to set up an

online database they can use to check what drugs are in short supply at any

given time.

They made their plea in a March 14 letter signed by 12 groups including the

Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Psychiatric Association, Canadian

Association of General Surgeons and the Canadian Association of Pediatric

Surgeons.

The proposal came as a response to drug shortages that have inconvenienced

physicians and, at times, hurt patients.

" It would be helpful to know, in advance of prescribing the medications, what

drugs are in short supply, " said Jeff Turnbull, a physician and president of the

Canadian Medical Association. " More importantly, it would allow manufacturers

responsible for those drugs to recognize the shortage and address it

immediately. "

A survey by the association in January across Canada found 74 per cent of 743

doctors questioned had had trouble finding a drug for their patients.

In a similar survey last October, the Canadian Pharmacists Association found

about 93 per cent of pharmacists experienced the same problem, with many

spending an average of 30 minutes a day trying to deal with shortages.

" I think we're facing more and more shortages than we've ever faced before, "

said Shakeel Bhatti, who for 25 years has been a community pharmacist in

Langley. " Recently, the biggest problem is around antibiotics, which is a cause

of great concerns. "

Bhatti recently failed to find an antibiotic prescribed to a child with a severe

ear infection. " The child was in visible pain and, on occasion, crying because

it hurt so much, " he said.

Bhatti offered the parent over-the-counter pain medication while he searched for

alternatives. Pharmacists may sometimes make a drug substitution and notify the

physician afterwards. But with drug shortages, pharmacists generally discuss

alternatives with the physician first, he said.

It took Bhatti more than two hours to get in touch with the physician and to

agree on a new prescription for the child.

" Can you imagine if you were a parent of a child in pain and how awful that

would be?' Bhatti said. " If the physician had been informed perhaps by the

manufacturer or someone else that this drug was unavailable then this child

would have been treated much more efficiently and quickly. "

Health Canada made a request in mid-March for drug manufacturers to consider

opportunities to effectively manage and better communicate drug shortages to

health care professionals and the public.

" But manufacturers are not legally required to inform the department of a supply

disruption, " Meerburg, media relations officer at Health Canada, wrote in

an email.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration maintains an online list of drugs that are

in short supply, or potentially will be. This early warning system prevented 38

drug shortages because it allowed manufacturers time to increase supply of the

drugs, said Burgess, an FDA press officer.

In Canada, several health care associations are discussing potential solutions

with drug manufacturers. Creating an online list following the American example

is one of the options.

Myrella Roy, executive director of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists,

is hoping a monitoring system will be set up in the coming year.

" Not only will this help alleviate problems pharmacists and doctors face now, "

said Roy, " but most importantly, it will help limit the disruption of treatment

for the patient. "

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