# Epinephrine shortage

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epinephrine-shortage/651518>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 27, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epinephrine-shortage/651518 "2013-02-27T14:32:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epinephrine-shortage/651518/1 "2013-02-27T14:32:06Z")

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I am a physician, and was attempting to order epinephrine. Several contacts told me that there is a national shortage. I did finally find some ampules, which is the least convenient form. But what is up with a national shortage of a simple molecule to produce? Some weird pressure from the epi-pen people who sell with a 10000x mark up? FDA screwup? I cannot find any information on google, except for the fact that the shortage exists.

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epinephrine-shortage/651518/2 "2013-02-27T15:53:53Z")

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Many years ago a friend was on a daily thyroid medication and her physician told her that a fire in the single factory producing the drug made the future availability a concern. He explained that there was plenty out there, but that there would likely be increased demand as people bought up as much as they could.

Could it be a manufacturing issue like that?

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**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/epinephrine-shortage/651518/3 "2013-02-27T17:24:41Z")

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There are two websites I know that list drug shortages and the reason / likely resolution :

[Site 1 - ASHP](http://www.ashp.org/DrugShortages/Current/bulletin.aspx?id=685)

[Site 2 - FDA](http://www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/drugshortages/ucm050792.htm)

I learnt about these site when I was looking for tetracycline last year - (Disclaimer - I have no formal knowledge of the medical sciences)