It is unacceptable that some cancer patients can’t readily get the drugs they need because of supply problems, the Canadian Cancer Society says.

1. Cancer society decries drug shortage
By: Brad Kepler

2. E there is m nda listing of unaa ble drug bydrug m nufa
nsure a tory vila s a cturer.
D elop ea wrning sy s to identifypotentia drug shortaes.
ev rly a stem l g
P sy s in pla to prev shortaes fromesca ting
ut stem ce ent g la .
W w other jurisdictions to inv a the root ca of the shortaes a a to
ork ith estig te uses g nd ct
prev themw possible.
ent here

3. Cna 's supplyof injecta drug such a pa
a da ble s s inkillers, a
ntibiotics a a
nd nesthetics
beca e m preca follow afire in the boiler rooma Sndoz Cna 's pla in
m ore rious ing t a a da nt
Boucherv Q
ille, ue.
"P roduction ha resum in the portion of the pla tha ws not directlya
s ed nt t a ffected by
the incident, w took pla on Mrch 4 the com nysa in aem il to CCN s on
hich ce a ," pa id a B ew
M y "O objectiv is to restore prev lev of supplya soon a possible, a
onda. ur e ious els s s nd
w w m ke ev effort to m m l needs, w ensuring consistent hig qua
e ill a ery eet edica hile h lity
sta rds."
nda

4. Rtioning supplies
a
T com nyws una to qua howm m ca cityit nowha
he pa a ble ntify uch ore pa s.
A D le, v president of policya public a irs a the O rio H l A tion in
nthony a ice- nd ffa t nta ospita ssocia
Toronto, ca it "outraeous" tha one com nycould hae this kind of effect on drug
lled g t pa v
supplies.
D le a ca for ana l stra y noting hospita a ta inv
a lso lled tiona teg , ls re king entoryof their supplies
a try to sha a to com or ca
nd ing re nd pound refullym drug fromra ing
ix s w redients under sterile
conditions.
H ls a drug purcha hae been holding da conference ca to m a shortaes.
ospita nd sers v ily lls itig te g
Doctors a ca
re refullyselecting pa w ca swllowto g e themora form of the
tients ho n a iv l s
m tions, sa MrellaR , executiv director of the Cna n S of H l P rm cists
edica id y oy e a dia ociety ospita ha a
in O w.
tta a
Lst w officia w A H lth S ices a doctors to conserv injecta
a eek, ls ith lberta ea erv sked e ble
m tions. Cncer pa w a to g ora a na m tions instea of injections
edica a tients ere sked et l nti- usea edica d
before chem pytrea ent.
othera tm

5. In m F ry Sndoz inform hospita a other hea ca clients tha it ws
id-ebrua , a ed ls nd lth- re t a
pa llyclosing its pla in B
rtia nt oucherv w it im ed its process to m U .
ille hile prov eet .S
sa sta rds, the Cna n A
fety nda a dia nesthesiolog S sa in anew relea
ists' ociety id s se.
T com nytold the a
he pa nesthesiolog g tha dozens of critica m tions
ists roup t l edica
w no long be m nufa
ill er a ctured w others w be aa ble on "a tion"
hile ill vila lloca
ba upon prev usae, am nufa
sed ious g a cturing a deliv situa tha could la 12
nd ery tion t st
to 18m the g sa in their relea
onths, roup id se.
H lth Cna sa la w it is w
ea a da id st eek orking to identifya te sources of supply
lterna
a expedite a a for a drug com nies tha m Cna n sta rds for
nd pprovls ny pa t eet a dia nda
sa a effectiv
fety nd eness.