Anybody experiencing medication shortages in their hospital system ? I’m assuming it’s due to the war ?

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Army_31B@reddit

Lots of benzodiazepine shortages this time of year mainly clonazepam, I have noticed it past few years around April through September for some reason.

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Yeah that has me seriously scared, because I'm tapering but it will take a couple years because I've been on it long-term due to CPTSD etc. My doctors are complete assholes and don't understand when I say I can't risk going cold turkey because of supply chain issues, please prescribe my prescription like I used to have it. They won't. I said fine, then you'll have to deal with me seizing on the floor of your ER which will be a lot more expensive, especially if you let me die.

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Army_31B@reddit

I’ve been on clonazepam everyday for about 20 years for the same thing, my doctor has no interest in tapering me since it works and I can’t tolerate SSRI’s but I’m thinking about trying to taper just in case there is a SHTF situation and the supply chain breaks down. Luckily I have about a three month backup supply that I rotate out with my new scripts so they don’t expire just in case.

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2quickdraw@reddit

I've been on for over 30 years, it was the only thing that worked for me, SSRIs or horrendous, but 1 mg of Klonopin a day gave me my life back. I was suffering from panic disorder and GAD, and I was white knuckling my entire life. I have 3 months put aside as well but it's getting older but it does still work. That was back when I was getting a 2mg a day prescription from a prescribing psych that understood me 100%, and knew I was only using 1 mg and occasionally 1.5.

I had almost a year's worth sandbagged and somehow went through too much stress with bilateral hip joint replacement and other things, and was just using them instead of getting them every 3 months like usual. Then California decided you can only have a 30-day prescription. If they would give me the 2 mg like I keep asking the current prescribing psych and she keeps saying oh yes she understands and then never changes the prescription, I would be able to stockpile so that I could taper on my own. I think I'm going to have to go outside the system to an independent. What's also hard is it's very helpful for RLS which I also have. I take magnesium glycinate for that, which also helps with anxiety and is helping me taper.

But of course yeah, let's let's taper during World War 3 and the end of the World as we knew It.

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Army_31B@reddit

I’m on 2.5 a day but only take 2mg daily and .5 extra on bad days so that gives me a little bit of a buffer zone. I used to get it from the VA by mail but I was tired of getting a different brand every refill so I just get my VA doc to send 3 months to CVS. But yeah ww3 would not be a good time to be trying to taper. I have another emergency backup just in case. I recently found out that there have been trials of successfully tapering people off of benzodiazepines with Topomax so incidentally I also have migraines and my primary doctor started giving me topomax which I am stockpiling just in case. Luckily I have a quite bit of knowledge in this area and access to other medical professionals since I am a paramedic.

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2quickdraw@reddit

I wish you all the best with it! It's good you have the knowledge and that you understand your own body and how these medications can work for you.

I'm hoping I can taper enough to "take as needed". Because I'm a senior I'm also concerned about such a long-term med effect on the brain, but on the other hand I figured that I didn't have that many years left so why bother. Until of course the last year. 😬

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Due_Will_2204@reddit (OP)

We all need anxiety meds right now

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forbiddenfreedom@reddit

The medicine shortage I've experienced is via VA mail prescriptions. US Postal has been up to three weeks behind on deliveries in Michigan as various points of these last 6 months.

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CoffeeOrDestroy@reddit

My insurance company pushes so hard for mail order meds, but my post office only delivers junk mail reliably every day. I get real mail only once a week if I’m lucky. Heck no I’m not trusting the post office to deliver medication timely.

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forbiddenfreedom@reddit

I don't get a choice. But I can be hopeful that the system sustains functionality through all of this gutting.

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CoffeeOrDestroy@reddit

Ugh. Wishing the best for you!

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forbiddenfreedom@reddit

Thank you! My wife is the true hero here. This lady runs circles around me to make sure I'm healthy.

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Due_Will_2204@reddit (OP)

Mine does too. Luckily I have a local pharmacy that delivers for free

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Due_Will_2204@reddit (OP)

Same here in Texas

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forbiddenfreedom@reddit

My VA psychiatrist was not thrilled to learn I was out of meds for 18 days and have been rationing to prepare for the next time.

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Due_Will_2204@reddit (OP)

Hey man, thanks for your service.

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forbiddenfreedom@reddit

Of course, dude. I worked bombs so needless to say, it was a bomb ass job.

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TheSensiblePrepper@reddit

A few years ago I made a post on a different Sub about the shortages occurring then and that they would get worse. Which they did.

Unfortunately Reddit, actual Reddit and not Mods, removed my post without a reason why. My theory is they didn't want people to know the truth so easily.

If you would like me to give you a direct copy/paste of that post, message me directly.

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Katydid829@reddit

Sure, why not since we’re also going to get our Medicare and Medicaid taken away to fund a war no one knew about a month ago and why we’re there. 🤬😡

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Due_Will_2204@reddit (OP)

Truth. Wonder who will take care of the billionaires and millionaires when the rest of us are dead?

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Bobbie_Sacamano@reddit

There has been a shortage of ADHD meds for the last five years

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CoffeeOrDestroy@reddit

*purposeful, planned by politicians shortage

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ADownStrabgeQuark@reddit

This one is primarily due to politicians setting the legal limit for how much can be produced well below the number of people that have prescriptions for it.

(Atleast in the USA.)

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Due_Will_2204@reddit (OP)

Yes there has. My daughter went 6 months without hers. Another was one of my rhumatology meds.

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TokyoMegatronics@reddit

Best thing I ever did was lie about needing a booster for my ADHD medications. Some days I need the extra 20mg top up, most days I don’t. Means I can store those and any extra tablets at the end of the month just incase we get some random shortage again.

Insane that it’s even something most people on ADHD medications have to do or consider doing though.

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OppressedCow6148@reddit

Just throwing this out here. I have a paralyzed stomach and am on over 10 different medications, multiple different classes. I also go to hydration therapy where I get IV fluids and IV infusions twice a week at my local cancer clinic. I haven’t had any of my medications back ordered (and I have experienced this in the past), not even my ADHD medication. And the nurses have been able to fill people’s vitamin infusions and hydration therapy orders fine.

Just to give an example of what it looked like when there was a more emergent situation, I’ll explain Hurricane Helene. I’m in the Great Lakes Region. We were unable to get any fluids, my hydration therapy was canceled for 4 months straight. I have been getting this two to three times weekly since December 2021. There was also a potassium shortage and the clinic couldn’t give people their iron infusions. The potassium shortage lasted about 8 months. The iron about 2-3 months. The clinic the hospital was attached to was only using fluids for surgeries and births during the shortage.

Hopefully that explanation helps provide a more Birds Eye view of what a shortage looks like from a chronically ill patient perspective. I can’t speak to what’s going on behind the scenes, but this doesn’t feel like Helene felt. Atleast not yet.

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Due_Will_2204@reddit (OP)

I'm so sorry you went through that and I'm really glad you are able to get what you need now.

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OppressedCow6148@reddit

Thank you. :)

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Independent-Bug-9352@reddit

Considering the logistical supply chain of McDonalds my dad (I know, trying to get him off that shit) said after decades of going to McDs he noticed they are now commonly out of stock on items on the menu, with employees apologizing saying they're backordered.

Also car repossession rates have already matched or exceed the Great Recession.

We are already in a recession, and likely an outright depression.

And I think that was by design and intentional of this administration.

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Due_Will_2204@reddit (OP)

They only want the wealthy

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Independent-Bug-9352@reddit

Without fail, every single recession has led to the rich getting richer and wealth inequality worsening -- and never returning to pre-recession levels. Like Mr. Potter in "It's a Wonderful Life," they buy up everything and make the working class more and more desperate. We will be Russia before too long if we don't change course quickly.

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ADownStrabgeQuark@reddit

In Poverty and Progress, Henry George described that the amount of wealth the rich take from the poor increases over time, and in addition to tariffs, wars, high taxes and so on, when the amount of rent rich takes from the laboring class causes their standard of living to fall below what they are capable or willing to survive on it creates a depression.(PP 167)

We have high land values(rents/home values).

We have tariffs.

We have taxes on productivity.(sales taxes, income taxes, etc)

We have a war.

All of these are things that in themselves can cause a depression and famine.

We have all of them together.

Our economy is cooked.

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Corporate-Scum@reddit

Trump fucked things up last year with Tarrifs and threats. But it has been sorted out since.

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MamacitaBetsy@reddit

I’ve been a nurse for many years. For at least the last decade there has not been a time where there isn’t at least one medication on backorder or unavailable. By no means do I think the war won’t have an effect but this is very common overall.

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OrinThane@reddit

Spread around your hospital. This facility was a primary producer of generic drugs and it's going to be a big deal.

https://truthout.org/articles/israel-strikes-pharmaceutical-factory-in-tehran-that-made-cancer-drugs/

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Crocs_n_Glocks@reddit

It's almost like for-profit pharmaceutical companies would rather make the profitable drugs

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Hellowhosthere7@reddit

I’m also a nurse and worked at a lot of places for many years. This commenter is correct. We constantly have stuff rotating on backorder or unavailable. The biggest impact we see is when a hurricane hits Puerto Rico because a lot of IV solution production comes from there. When that happens, we start ration fluids but the general public never knows about it.

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Due_Will_2204@reddit (OP)

I remember that.

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BugenHag3n@reddit

can verify this

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Significant-Chart425@reddit

Not yet

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djh3max6@reddit

ugh the supply chain issues are hitting everything now huh

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docbzombie@reddit

Medical director of multiple subspecialties. Lots of adjustments due to shortages and lack of providers. Lots of elderly without housing or payor sources for placement or basic medication. Hospitals and health systems will be continue to be challenged. Thats said, c suite could do a pay cut. Would help a ton. Thanks.

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Due_Will_2204@reddit (OP)

God that's so disheartening

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James_Hamilton1953@reddit

Couple of weeks ago after surgery I was told Dilaudid is in short supply.

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Due_Will_2204@reddit (OP)

Yikes!

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Crocs_n_Glocks@reddit

It's been that way for a couple years now

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Crocs_n_Glocks@reddit

Probably because the drug companies make more money using their production capacity for GLP1s than antibiotics lol

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Round-Medicine2507@reddit

There are past/recent tariffs on foreign drugs that are changing, plus many healthcare managers are just incompetent and order only after they run out somewhere along the chain, also still covid residual Industry shortages as precursor plants permanently closed, etc.

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Due_Will_2204@reddit (OP)

Very true

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bthomp612@reddit

It’ll impact a lot more than medications in the medical field if plastics start going on back order due to the war….

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ketamine_bolus@reddit

Shits normal.

Havent seen sufentanil in ages