Questioning the EpiPen Shortage
Beyond the headline: I find the current EpiPen shortage more than a little perplexing. Perhaps there's more to it than has been posted online (Such as https://foodallergycanada.ca/2018/08/epipen-shortage-faqs/)
Here are four questions for those with responsibility for these products:
Given the extremely important nature of products like EpiPen to the health of Canadians with specific allergies, why is there only one supplier to the Canadian market?
What are the financial consequences for provincial Ministries of Health and taxpayers given that there appears to be (and never have been) a 'Plan B' in case supply of this product is interrupted? The 'alternative' approved company products are now apparently being rushed in to fill the void.... hard to imagine that the price will be the same as might have been quoted in a long-term contract.
How is it that the shortage has been known (at least within Pfiser) through all of 2018 but the first public announcement was at the end of July 2018?
Assuming that we can work our way through this current shortage, what should we be learning about this situation to reduce the possibilities of it happening again? I'm curious about what my private sector colleagues would do in this situation... feel free to post your ideas as Comments.