Methotrexate shortage continues.

The CBS Evening News (2/13, story 8, 2:50, Pelley) reported, "Thousands of children with leukemia count on" methotrexate "to survive, but the supplies are running dangerously low. In many cases, doctors have enough for only about three weeks."

        On NBC Nightly News (2/13, story 8, 2:00, Williams), Chief Science Correspondent Robert Bazell said, "This is one of several shortages of relatively inexpensive drugs, mostly cancer medications, that cropped up around the country in the past few months. Many doctors charge companies choose to make profitable drugs while cutting back on the older ones." Bazell added that although "the FDA is urging companies to increase production," it "has no enforcement powers."

        The AP (2/14) reports, "Late Monday, the heads of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Cancer Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Children's Oncology Group, a nationwide network of researchers, wrote to top executives at four US makers of the drug pleading for help." These "groups urged the drugmakers to 'take all necessary steps to rapidly increase access' to the preservative-free version of methotrexate, which is needed for children because the preservatives can be dangerous for them." Meanwhile, "Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., sent a similar plea to the companies Monday evening."

        Schoen: Drug shortage crisis needs serious, immediate response. In Forbes (2/14), Doug Schoen writes, "We must address the critical issue of drug shortages seriously and immediately in order to be most responsive to the well-being of patients generally and their ability to access life-saving medications as quickly as possible." According to Schoen, "It is important to address the complex set of manufacturing issues while continuing to encourage a market that promotes accessibility for these products." Additionally, Schoen argues, "we must address and stop price gouging by secondary wholesalers," as it "jeopardizes patient safety, as it is impossible to guarantee that the medicines obtained by providers in this way have been handled in a way that maintains product integrity."

        Experts tell Massachusetts legislative panel drug shortages are affecting patient care. The AP (2/14) reports, "Chronic shortages of prescription drugs are compromising the quality and safety of patient care and driving up health care costs by forcing doctors and hospitals to purchase scarce medications at exorbitant markups, medical experts told a Massachusetts legislative panel Monday." Dr. David Frank, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston testified "that the shortages" of drugs such as Doxil "were having a 'profound effect' on patients at his and other hospitals." The AP adds, "Witnesses...called on Congress to pass laws requiring timelier reporting by drug makers of production delays and to empower the federal Food and Drug Administration to take immediate steps to alleviate shortages - in some cases by shifting production to other plants in the US and overseas, if necessary."

        The Boston Globe (2/14, Conaboy) "White Coat Notes" blog reports, "'Rationing is going on for cancer patients today, not because of government but because of companies' that have disrupted drug supplies, said" Dr. Frank. The number "of medically necessary drugs in short supply has grown from 61 in 2005 to about 250 last year, said Dr. Sandra Kweder of the US Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research."