This article pertains specifically to Nova Scotia but other provinces are either already limiting patients to 30-day supplies at a time or are considering dong so, and the Canadian Pharmacists Association is recommending the same. According to a CBC article that I can no longer find, this is partly due to shipments of raw ingredients being heavily dependent on India and China, which are restricting exports or having other logistical problems.
I’m on various medications that are mostly precautionary and related to a heart condition, but although all are important, one of them is the type that is labelled “DO NOT STOP TAKING THIS MEDICATION UNLESS ADVISED BY YOUR DOCTOR”. For many older people, even if young at heart like me (no pun intended), medication shortages could be very serious. I was lucky that just by chance I had a doctor’s visit a few weeks ago and got many medications renewed for 6 months, and was then able to refill them for the usual 90-day period before this new policy started spreading across the different jurisdictions.
I don’t know what to think about this latest measure which is likely to become widespread, but is certainly likely to be a hardship for some. Probably better than being told that a critical medication I need is – to use a term we have all become so very familiar with – “out of stock”. The feds have apparently changed some rules to ease the situation; certain patented drugs have had their patents temporarily lifted so generics can be made, and pharmacists apparently have increased authority to extend existing prescriptions at their own discretion, or even issue new prescriptions in certain cases.
My point in any case being that in this current situation which never ceases to be full of unpleasant surprises, running out of toilet paper may not be some people’s worst problem.
I cannot tell you how worried I am about this. I have what I need now through the middle of May.
This is an important issue I’ve heard very little about. If they can’t get ventilators how can I expect them to get insulin to me. Or meds Lupus patients need. What about dialysis needs for those very needy patients.
People with depression who live alone and may not have daily contact with other people over Skype of ordinary phone AND may have trouble getting sufficient amounts of their meds, and may start rationing, are going to be in real trouble.
People who have psychotic disorders who DON’T live alone and can’t get sufficient medicine are in serious trouble too.
In the long run I hope some good comes from the Coronavirus. I knew a lot of medication was made in China but I had no idea how much and to what extent. We need to make sure these types of things are changed so we aren’t put in a situation like this again.
I am now prescribed a few very essential meds. One is over-prescribed so I’m set till August; the others are short-term and thus worrisome. Costco pharmacy has just upped their reorder window from two to three weeks. My own needs aren’t rare but I suspect high-demand drugs, especially those sourced from China or India, will be impacted.
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I have a friend who uses chloroquine (as does her daughter) for some sort of autoimmune condition. They have had trouble finding the needed meds - primarily due to the rumor that it was useful for COVID.
I suspect that in general it won’t be a huge problem but localized spot shortages would not surprise me.
These can happen even without pandemics: about a year back, I had trouble getting one of my BP meds for several months due to a shortage of the raw materials. I never found out what the issue was.
I take medication for a benign pituitary tumour that seems to always have supply issues. Last summer I had to go to 3 different pharmacies and accept a partial fill of a script to get me through. On a positive note, my doctor cut my dose in half as I was in a good therapeutic range but the script wasn’t changed so a 90 day supply lasts me 6 months and I just get refilled a bit early to keep a bigger buffer. Who knows if demand for other meds will push mine off the production schedule.