America's shortage of asthma medication, explained
What led to a national albuterol shortage, and what is being done to address it?
An ongoing shortage of albuterol, an asthma medication primarily used by hospitals, may be exacerbated by the recent closure of one of the country's two domestic producers of the medicine. Here's what you need to know:
What is albuterol?
Albuterol is a medication that helps open constricted airways caused by the inflammation associated with asthma. "It works by activating the beta receptors in the lungs, which helps the airways open and relax so asthma sufferers can breathe more easily," ABC News explains. Albuterol can be administered "through an inhaler or as an aerosolized solution through a nebulizer machine." The latter type is currently facing a national shortage in the United States.
The aerosolized solution is sometimes used at home for "infants and young children who have difficulty using an inhaler," ABC adds, but it is mainly used "in hospital settings to treat a range of breathing problems associated with wheezing that includes asthma and some respiratory infections.."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What led to the asthma medication shortage?
"Although it's not clear what prompted the initial constrained supply," ABC says the Food and Drug Administration has been tracking the shortage nationally. The agency added the medicine to its shortage list last fall. Last year's shortages "were exacerbated by outbreaks of the coronavirus and RSV," The Washington Post explains.
In February, generic drug manufacturer Akorn Pharmaceuticals filed for bankruptcy. Then it shut down three of its facilities in March, including its Illinois facility, one of the only producers of liquid albuterol. "The shutdown of that plant leaves just one remaining domestic supplier of liquid albuterol,'" the Post adds, "although another pharmacy supplier is racing to build a second supply."
In a statement posted on Twitter, the FDA said that it's "working to address a shortage of a particular form of albuterol — a medication that is used to treat breathing conditions. It is important to note that this shortage does not impact albuterol inhalers for personal use."
Akron's closure leaves South Carolina-based Nephron Pharmaceuticals "as one of the only remaining primary manufacturers of liquid albuterol," ABC says. "We are currently producing Albuterol as fast as possible to deliver to the market — and to patients — to address this shortage," Nephron CEO Lou Kennedy told ABC.
How are health-care providers coping with the shortage?
Children's hospitals have been "deploying workarounds" since the onset of the shortage, the Post says, including looking for other suppliers and "modifying doses of albuterol in their own pharmacies to suit their needs, a process called compounding." Wholesalers have prohibited hospitals from ordering more of their usual supply of the medication to avoid hoarding, according to what Premier, a group purchasing company for hospitals, told the Post.
The shortage has forced the staff at Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando to "squeeze out the contents of 40 tiny 0.5 ml containers" to create a single batch, said Angela Folger, the facility's director of pharmacy. While it is time-consuming and labor-intensive, Folger told the Post, "ultimately they have been able to find enough."
Over the past two months, the Children's Hospital Association has increased the production of "an alternative supply of liquid albuterol from a partner supplier, STAQ Pharma," the Post writes. Since STAQ is a new producer, the product's expiration date starts at just 32 days, though the plan is to extend the expiration dates as "the product proves to be safe and stable," the organization said.
"STAQ plans to ramp up to full production by May 2023 so that hospitals have a stable supply ahead of the next respiratory season," says Mark Spiecker, president of STAQ Pharma.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
-
Baltimore bridge disaster: Who is going to pay and how?
Today's Big Question Politicians, legal experts, and the insurance industry are all grappling with the financial fallout of America's worst infrastructure tragedy in years
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Melting polar ice is messing with global timekeeping
Speed Read Ice loss caused by climate change is slowing the Earth's rotation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Stick guitar
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
The alarming rise of cancer in young people
Under the radar Cancer rates are rising, and the cause is not clear
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
How happy is Finland really?
Today's Big Question Nordic nation tops global happiness survey for seventh year in a row with 'focus on contentment over joy'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
US bans final type of asbestos
Speed Read Exposure to asbestos causes about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What Florida is — and isn't — doing to curb the biggest measles outbreak in the US
Talking Points DeSantis appointee defies expert consensus to stop the spread
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'TikTok brain' may be coming for your kid's attention span
The Explainer What happens to kids' brains when they binge TikTok's endless stream of bite-sized videos?
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Animals and plants that have been used to fight disease
The Explainer The world's flora and fauna have long been medically important
By Devika Rao Published
-
Heat harms the brain more than we think
Warmer temperatures could be affecting us mentally
By Devika Rao Published
-
FDA to re-evaluate effectiveness of common nasal congestion ingredient
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published