Some opioids, chemotherapy drugs and other generic medications are in such short supply patients are scrambling to refill their prescriptions.
“The opiates for sure, the chemotherapies we don’t do that much of and depending on what generic drug it is there are some shortages,” pharmacist and owner of Chula Vista Pharmacy Elvis Atencio said.
“The oncology shortage is especially critical,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf told NBC News in May 2023.
According to a March 2023 Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs report, new drug shortages increased by nearly 30% between 2021 and 2022 and are currently sitting at record highs.
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Some people in San Diego are feeling the impact.
“I feel like I’m in hell,” Linda Dickson of La Jolla said.
Dickson was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and deals with bouts of pain.
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Along with her anti-inflammatory medication, Dickson has been prescribed an opiate to deal with the severe pain she feels sometimes.
She said she is now having trouble refilling her medication.
“I don’t golf anymore. I don’t do any of the things I enjoy. Pain is a horrible thing to deal with on a daily basis. It wears you out, it ages you,” Dickson said.
Some Pharmacists said the problems don’t appear to be getting better.
Pharmacies often work with others to help a patient fill a prescription, but the pharmacists NBC 7 spoke with said that does not solve the broader problem at hand.
