Shortages of Prescription Drugs: Investigating the causes of shortfalls and possible solutions
(InvestigateTV) — The fight to get affordable generic versions of medications is nothing new.
More than 40 years ago, Congress ed the Hatch-Waxman Act, a law paving the way for more generics, but today’s market can’t keep them in stock.
From lifesaving cancer treatments to common antibiotics, at the beginning of 2024, nationwide drug shortages hit a record high, with more than 320 medications in scarce supply.
In the fall of 2024, the American Medical Association declared drug shortages an urgent public health crisis and called for the federal government to take action, but several bills introduced to address drug shortages have yet to advance in Congress, and as of September 2024, nearly 280 medications were still considered in short supply.
Investigative reporter Dave Amelotti takes an in-depth look at a patient forced to ration her medications, why shortages have become more prevalent, and a solution that could make the drug supply less vulnerable.
Then, reporter Kristin Crowley introduces us to another organization negotiating supply chain challenges in an attempt to be another solution for people to find needed medications.
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