FDA To Help Prevent Drug Shortages

Good news from the FDA:

“Under a new proposed rule the FDA would require companies to notify it in advance of any plans to halt production of certain prescription drugs in short supply or of any manufacturing disruptions that could cause temporary shortages of those medications. With a bit more notice, the FDA says, it could better stave off shortages. The FDA’s new requirements would also extend to medically important “biologic” drugs—products composed of sugars, protein or nucleic acids that are typically made from living microorganisms. Shortages of biologics, including a class called sterile injectable drugs, can endanger patients and compromise care.”

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.