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ANESTHESIA ALERT
Another option is to report shortages to the Food and Drug
Administration (fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/drugshortages/default.htm).
Do I have to deal with the drug shortage issue alone?
Q.
A.
No. You should work with all stakeholders at your facility to
develop safe plans. Additionally, you should be discussing possible solutions with your professional society and your elected officials. Administrators and physician anesthesiologists should collaborate with colleagues, pharmacists, appropriate committees, institutional administrators, professional societies and government agencies
to discuss issues and create policies and procedures related to drug
shortages.
What should professional societies be doing about drug shortages?
Q.
A.
Because of the complexity of the issue and the widespread
effect it has, professional societies are in a unique position to
identify and advocate for statutory and legislative changes to address
and fix the problem. The ASA recently worked behind the scenes,
strongly supporting the incorporation of Title X (which is solely
devoted to shortages) in the recently passed Food and Drug
Administration Safety and Innovation Act (gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS112s3187enr/pdf/BILLS-112s3187enr.pdf). ASA has also hosted and participated in drug shortage summits. In general, professional medical
organizations can help identify statutes, regulations and guidelines
that impact the supply of medications, and advocate for appropriate
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J A N U A R Y 2014
