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What you need to know:
National:
According to the Food and Drug Administration, a drug shortage is characterized as a “period of time when the demand or projected demand for the drug within the United States exceeds the supply of the drug.” Additionally, according to the National Library of Medicine, the U.S. officially began tracking national drug shortages in 2001, and noticed a significant increase in the number of crisis-level shortages in 2009.
A current drug shortage list can be found here. Specifically, medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cancer and diabetes have been consistently in a low supply within the past year.
Local:
In addition to the national drug shortages impacting Massachusetts pharmacies, some have also experienced staff shortages. According to the Wayland Community Forum Facebook page, some Wayland residents have noted a specific staffing shortage in the Wayland CVS on Main St., resulting in some residents switching pharmacies. According to a Wayland Walgreens pharmacist, the Walgreens pharmacy has noticed an influx of customers since November because of staff shortages at other Wayland pharmacies.
Here is a map of local pharmacies that Wayland residents recommend:
Why it matters:
Some people need proper medication to function during their day-to-day lives, such as people with common mental health disorders such as anxiety, ADHD and depression, and people with common physical ailments, such as diabetes, infections and chronic pain.
Staying up to date with local pharmacies can make sure that people are getting their prescriptions on time. While there are ongoing staff and medication shortages, this can mean personally calling doctors to request an immediate refill. In some cases, skipping medication can cause problems for individuals, such as being unable to attend school or work, so it is necessary to stay on top of replacing prescriptions.
What are other sources to look at?
“Drug Shortage Database” – U.S. Food and Drug Administration
“What’s causing the unusually high number of drug shortages in the U.S.” – PBS
“Drug Shortages Near an All-Time High, Leading to Rationing” – NYTimes
