The Director General of the World Health Organization is Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus.

The United States experienced medication shortages, including a significant deficiency in various drug categories.

Authorities suggested addressing the medication shortage crisis by educating the public about generic drugs and dispelling the myth that original brand drugs are better.

The healthcare worker shortage is predicted to occur by 2035, with a projected shortage of 18 million workers.

China has included 45 rare disease medications in its national medical insurance directory, covering 26 rare diseases.

Combating corruption in healthcare requires addressing the root causes, such as lack of transparency and public awareness, and promoting education and awareness campaigns to build trust and ensure the quality and authenticity of drugs.

Medication shortages in Taiwan have affected over 100 types of commonly used drugs, including antibiotics, pain killers, and gastrointestinal drugs.

"A probe has been launched to investigate the shortage of chemotherapies and other generic drugs, which is affecting cancer patients in the US."

The reported medication shortage includes over 100 types of commonly used drugs, such as antibiotics, pain killers, and gastrointestinal drugs.

Medications affected by shortages include Ceftuluzan + tazobactam, priumanide, Ravidasvir, monoclonal antibodies to Ebola virus disease, and Cancer Drugs, which are used to treat various conditions such as multi-drug resistant bacteria, tuberculosis, hepatitis virus infection, and Ebola virus disease.

Besides carboplatin and cisplatin, other medications found to be in short supply include methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, fludarabine, and hydrocortisone, with reported shortage rates ranging from 41% to 66% among surveyed centers.

Carboplatin and cisplatin were the chemotherapy medications in short supply in US cancer centers, with 93% and 70% of treatment centers reporting shortages, respectively.

The Director General of the World Health Organization is Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus.

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Good news for cancer and diabetes patients
Cancer and diabetes are among the most common diseases in the world, affecting millions of people.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday published the new version of its model lists of essential and pediatric medicines, which include new treatments for various cancers, insulin analogues and new oral medicines for diabetics and antibacterial and antifungal agents.
The lists aim to address global health priorities and identify the drugs that provide the greatest benefits, which should be available and affordable to all, yet the high prices of both new patented medicines and older medicines, such as insulin, continue to keep some essential medicines out of the reach of many patients.
Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said: “Diabetes is on the rise globally and rising faster in low- and middle-income countries, and many people who need insulin face financial difficulties getting it or going without it and lose their lives.
Cancer, on the other hand, is the leading cause of death worldwide, causing nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, and seven in ten cases occur in low- and middle-income countries.
New breakthroughs in cancer treatment have been made in recent years, such as drugs targeting tumor-forming molecular properties, some of which offer much better results than “traditional ” chemotherapy for many cancers.
Four new cancer drugs have been added to the model lists: Epiraterone has been replaced by anzalotamide for prostate cancer, Iverolimus has been added to treat Sega tumor that spreads in children, Iproteinib for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and Razboricis for tumor lysis syndrome, which is a serious complication associated with cancer treatment.

The United States experienced medication shortages, including a significant deficiency in various drug categories.

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An Unexpected Catastrophe in the World ’ s Largest Country: The Complete Story of U.S. Drug Shortages
The deficit is at a record level.
According to data from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists and the University of Utah Drug Information Service, organizations began tracking drug shortages for the first time in 2001. Steady since 2021 – now reaching a record high of 323 drugs in the first three months of 2024.
Paul Abramowitz, CEO of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, wrote in a blog post on Thursday: “It ’ s been a long time to end drug shortages, ” and wrote:“ All drug classes are vulnerable to shortages, some of the most worrisome shortages include sterile injectable generic drugs, including cancer chemotherapy drugs and emergency drugs stored in hospital vans and procedural areas. It is dangerous for doctors and patients. ”
In addition to the 32 chemotherapy drugs that are deficient, the five categories of drugs with the greatest deficiency include central nervous system stimulants, antimicrobials, hormonal agents, and intravenous fluids. [1] The Drug Deficiency Database maintained by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists and the University of Utah is based on voluntary reports from practitioners, patients, and others that have been confirmed by manufacturers. The U.S. drug is in short supply, because it captures broader effects on service providers and patients.
The crisis has lasted a year and a half.
More than half of the treatment shortages have lasted for more than two years, according to an analysis by health consultancy IQVIA, and the average shortage affects at least half a million patients, many of them elderly, according to the US Office of Health and Human Services under the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, which shared its analysis with Congress in May.
Growing demand can play a role in drug shortages, as with the recent shortage of weight-loss drugs, but often manufacturing and quality problems, such as supply chain gaps and downtime, are the root cause. And varied.
But the American Society of Health System Pharmacists has “serious concerns ” about parts of this proposal, especially financial sanctions imposed on hospitals that lack the resources to comply with the recommendations, Abramowitz wrote:“ We all know that managing shortages is not enough and is not a sustainable solution to the worsening crisis, and there is still a lot of work to be done at the federal level to fix the root causes of drug shortages. ”
Why Shortage Occurs
Shortages can be caused by high demand, as with the recent shortage of weight-loss drugs, but this is not usually the main problem.
The FDA also blames manufacturing and quality problems, supply chain gaps, and downtime, and Dr. Emily Tucker, a drug shortage expert and an assistant professor of industrial engineering at Clemson University, says that when there is an indication of shortages, large health systems often also proactively place large orders, adding to the system ’ s stress.
“I don ’ t blame anyone.
“When I talk to all the stakeholders – whether it ’ s wholesalers, manufacturers, or the government – everyone wants this problem to end, ” she said.
Lack of transparency
Dr. Julie Grallo, chief medical officer and executive vice president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, told the House Committee earlier that the shortage puts providers in a terrible position: “The drug shortage crisis is forcing providers to make impossible choices, and it is also hindering the development of new drugs. Health drugs are purchased only on a price basis, and manufacturers do not have to disclose the source of their acquisition of the ingredients.
The shortage of this generic chemical drug came due to the closure of one factory in India that manufactures the active ingredient after a surprise FDA inspection found “significant quality issues, ” says Jarallo:“ We didn ’ t know, and there was no transparency regarding the company ’ s supply of the majority of active pharmaceutical ingredients to all manufacturers across the board.
Knowing this in advance, we could have responded much faster, ” Dr. Steven Schundlemeyer, director of the PRIME Institute of the University of Minnesota School of Pharmacy, which focuses on economic and management issues, told the committee that as with defense contractors in the United States, New Zealand requires manufacturers to disclose their suppliers, and that information is required.
Easily accessible in the database.
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Authorities suggested addressing the medication shortage crisis by educating the public about generic drugs and dispelling the myth that original brand drugs are better.

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Content: Freedom Square, the government is responsible for cleaning up the name of the drug.
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Recently, a global shortage of blood lipid-lowering drugs has occurred, and Minister of Health and Welfare Xue has clarified that this will not cause immediate harm to national health, because there are many generic drugs with the same ingredients as Lipitor that have the function of lowering blood lipids.
The National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) has been implementing the "three-in-one policy" of "same ingredients, same dosage, and same content" for many years, but once a single original drug is missing, it always causes panic and media reports, and the government has no choice but to respond.
The Association has conducted an online questionnaire, only about 50% of the public have a positive attitude to the three drugs.
Only 41% of people answered “Never before ” because they were worried that the prescription drugs they received at the community pharmacy were different from the original manufacturer.
Even if the mouth of the pharmacist of the community pharmacy flies to explain to the public that the generic drug is not a "fake drug", it is a drug developed by other manufacturers and the same as the original drug, it still cannot change the people's deep-rooted impression, which is not only meaningless lack of drugs panic, but also affects the development of the Chinese generic drug industry.
In China's pharmaceutical industry, scientific name drugs account for about 70% of the health insurance payment items, but they account for less than 30% of the expenditure.
Without demand, manufacturers are unwilling to invest in R & D and manufacturing, and the scale of the industry cannot be expanded. In fact, China's pharmaceutical companies have fully joined PIC / S GMP in 2015, which is in line with international quality.
With the long-term support of the All-China Federation and the cooperation of medical institutions at all levels, most of them have no record of being "irreplaceable," but we have also found that some hospitals still tell the public that they are issuing "original brand" drugs, suggesting that the original drugs are better, giving rise to the myth that the foreign moon is more round.
Minister Hsueh responded that it is a myth to use generic drugs, but relying on primary pharmacists alone has limited effect. What is needed is for the government to invest resources to systematically inculcate the correct concept of generic drugs to the general public. Misunderstanding is also worth thinking about.
Education of the public is a huge project, and the misunderstanding of the public about the name medicine has affected the health insurance system and the pharmaceutical industry, only the beginning of reform can wash the name of the name medicine as soon as possible, and more stabilize the welfare and industrial development of the country's civilian medicine.
(The writer is the president of the Association of Pharmacists and National Policy Advisor of the President ’ s Office.)
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The healthcare worker shortage is predicted to occur by 2035, with a projected shortage of 18 million workers.

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Content: Global Healthcare Facing Severe Workforce Shortage by 2035

TL;DR Breakdown

  • Global healthcare is in a crisis, with a projected shortage of 18 million workers by 2035.
  • Digital health integration and AI are vital solutions to enhance patient care and address biases.
  • Connectivity and shared learning are key to bridging healthcare gaps and improving the system.

Healthcare systems worldwide face complex challenges, including an aging population, disparities in healthcare access, and a scarcity of healthcare professionals. Alarming projections from the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate a severe shortfall of 18 million healthcare workers by 2035, further exacerbated by the recent pandemic.

During a recent keynote session titled “Health that Connect, Tech that Cares,” Hal Wolf, HIMSS President and CEO, advocated for a proactive approach. He suggested that integrating digital health seamlessly into healthcare facilities is a promising solution. This involves deploying advanced technologies and providing comprehensive training to the workforce.

The crucial role of AI in personalized care

Central to this strategy is the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver personalized care more efficiently. Hospitals have now harnessed predictive modeling capabilities, enabling care teams to prioritize cases and redirect time from manual patient testing to direct patient care. Wolf emphasizes recognizing AI as a valuable tool in the healthcare toolkit.

Wolf further emphasizes that a clear vision must guide any development of AI applications. It is crucial to identify and rectify biases that might inadvertently affect AI applications. Additionally, the accuracy and integrity of healthcare data, particularly in electronic medical records (EMRs) and data structures, are paramount for informed decision-making.

Robust connectivity is another critical factor to consider. This entails ensuring that care teams can access essential tools and applications anywhere. Notably, initiatives like Indonesia’s plan to introduce satellite connectivity for rural community health centers are helping bridge healthcare disparities in underserved communities.

Hal Wolf concludes by urging participants to openly share their experiences and insights gained during their digital transformation journeys. This collaborative approach, encompassing successes and challenges, is essential for continuously improving healthcare systems.

An impending global healthcare crisis

The global healthcare sector is on the brink of a severe crisis. Challenges, including a rapidly aging population, persistent healthcare disparities, and a widening workforce gap, have created a daunting scenario. The WHO’s prediction of an 18 million health worker shortage by 2035 is a stark warning for all stakeholders.

Digital health integration

To mitigate this impending crisis, experts recommend a multifaceted approach. At the forefront is the seamless integration of digital health into healthcare facilities. This transformation involves incorporating technology as an integral part of healthcare infrastructure and investing in workforce training to harness its full potential.

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is paramount. With predictive modeling capabilities, hospitals can streamline patient care by prioritizing cases efficiently. However, it is essential to view AI as a valuable tool with limitations, as Hal Wolf emphasized.

Developing AI applications requires a clear vision and a commitment to addressing biases that may inadvertently affect algorithms. Furthermore, maintaining and improving the integrity of electronic medical records (EMRs) and data structures is crucial to ensure reliable decision-making.

Efforts to bridge healthcare gaps extend to ensuring robust connectivity. Initiatives like Indonesia’s plan to introduce satellite connectivity for rural community health centers exemplify the commitment to ensuring healthcare resources are accessible, even in underserved areas.

Learning from experience

Sharing lessons learned becomes paramount as healthcare organizations embark on digital transformation journeys. Hal Wolf’s call to openly discuss both successes and challenges fosters an environment of collective growth.

The global healthcare sector faces an imminent workforce crisis that necessitates immediate action. The integration of digital health, AI-driven personalized care, bias mitigation, data integrity assurance, and robust connectivity are crucial steps to address these challenges. Collaboration, open dialogue, and shared experiences will be pivotal as healthcare systems prepare for the impending workforce shortfall worldwide.

Disclaimer. The information provided is not trading advice. Cryptopolitan.com holds no liability for any investments made based on the information provided on this page. We strongly recommend independent research and/or consultation with a qualified professional before making any investment decisions.

China has included 45 rare disease medications in its national medical insurance directory, covering 26 rare diseases.

Title:

Content: Health · Life
Continue to do a good job in the prevention and control of rare diseases (people's opinion)
Shin Shaotetsu
December 05, 2022 07: 47 Source: People 's Daily - People' s Daily
Continue to strengthen research on rare diseases and ensure drug use, and further strengthen capacity building for the prevention and treatment of rare diseases
In 2022, the national medical insurance drug catalog will be adjusted, and a separate reporting channel will be opened for rare disease drugs, and rare disease drugs will be given priority in the medical insurance drug catalog.
So far, 45 drugs for rare diseases have been included in the national medical insurance drug catalog, covering 26 rare diseases.
The good news announced at the 2022 China Rare Disease Conference held recently has made many rare disease patients very happy.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report of the 20th National Party Congress: "To ensure the health of the people in the strategic position of giving priority to development."
Raising the level of treatment for rare diseases is related to the happiness of thousands of families.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Party Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance to the prevention and control of rare diseases, guiding relevant departments and parties to strengthen the supply of rare diseases research, diagnosis and treatment and drug research and development, and improving the medical security system for rare diseases.
The establishment of a rare disease catalogue, the establishment of a national network for rare disease diagnosis and treatment, and the establishment of the China rare disease alliance... a series of powerful measures have promoted the development of rare disease prevention and treatment, and brought hope to more patients.
Rare diseases are a challenging disease field and a major public health problem.
At present, there are more than 7,000 known rare diseases in the world, such as Gosher's disease, asymptotic freeze and albinism.
Because of the low incidence, variety, complex pathology, the difficulty of diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases, most of the diseases do not have effective treatment drugs.
Because of the high cost of research and development, some rare disease treatment drugs are expensive.
To solve the difficult problem of “difficult to diagnose, difficult to treat and expensive to treat ” rare diseases, the whole society needs to form a joint force to further improve the medical security system for rare diseases.
To prevent and control rare diseases, we must first grasp the prevention and control at the source, pay attention to prevention and early detection.
Of the known rare diseases, about 80% are inherited diseases caused by genetic mutations, and about half of them develop in childhood.
Strengthening prenatal screening and newborn genetic disease screening can achieve eugenics and early detection and early treatment of rare diseases, and reduce the long-term impact of rare diseases on patients and families.
In recent years, China has continuously increased medical and health investment and improved the birth defect prevention and treatment system.
There are more than 4,000 premarital health care institutions and 498 prenatal diagnostic institutions nationwide, providing a strong guarantee for the prevention and treatment of rare diseases.
There are few cases of rare diseases, involving blood, orthopedics, nerves, kidneys, respiratory, skin and severe diseases, and it is difficult to diagnose and treat, which is easy to cause misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.
In 2019, the National Health and Health Commission selected 324 hospitals to set up a national rare disease diagnosis and treatment cooperation network, and established a two-way referral and remote consultation mechanism.
As the leading hospital, Beijing Union Hospital has established a national multi-disciplinary diagnosis and treatment platform for rare diseases, and the "one-stop treatment plan" has shortened the average diagnosis time of patients from the previous four years to less than four weeks, effectively improving the diagnosis and treatment efficiency.
With the continuous response of medical institutions at all levels, more high-level experts will join the diagnosis and treatment platform in the future, and the conditions for diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases will be further improved.
The problem of lack of medication for rare diseases has always been highlighted.
It is necessary to strengthen the guarantee of drug use for patients, increase the research and development of rare diseases drugs, and encourage universities, scientific research institutes, hospitals and pharmaceutical enterprises to participate in the research and development of rare diseases drugs through the establishment of rare diseases drug research and development funds, financial subsidies, tax incentives, priority review and approval, and other support measures.
A life-saving medicine has been produced, and patients have to be able to use it.
On the one hand, under the premise of ensuring the normal operation of the medical insurance fund, we will explore the inclusion of more rare diseases drugs in the medical insurance catalogue; on the other hand, for rare diseases drugs with large amounts, we can effectively reduce the price of drugs through drug negotiations.
At present, China has approved more than 60 rare disease drugs on the market, the national organization of rare disease drug negotiations average price reduction of more than 50%, rare disease patients access to medication is constantly improving.
On the road of building a healthy China, we must care for every group in difficulty and must not give up.
With the continuous advancement of China's rare disease medical security system, the right to life and health of rare disease patients will be better guaranteed.
Continue to strengthen the research and drug use of rare diseases, and further strengthen the capacity of rare diseases prevention and treatment, we will be able to better protect the health of the people and improve the health and well-being of the people.
People 's Daily (05 / 12 / 2022)
(Editor: Sun Hongli, Yang Di)
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Combating corruption in healthcare requires addressing the root causes, such as lack of transparency and public awareness, and promoting education and awareness campaigns to build trust and ensure the quality and authenticity of drugs.

Medication shortages in Taiwan have affected over 100 types of commonly used drugs, including antibiotics, pain killers, and gastrointestinal drugs.

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News Review / Drugs and Eggs Out of Stock Government Incompetent and Interventionist
In economics, the “invisible hand ” refers to the fact that under the full operation of the price mechanism, the supply and demand of the market will reach the most appropriate balance, as if there are invisible hands guiding the general.
However, what people have seen in Taiwan in recent years is that the government's dirty hands frequently and aggressively manipulate prices, affecting supply and demand, and the market not only loses the freedom to operate, but also affects the supply, demand and quality of many goods.
Recently, the domestic egg price has risen and the supply has not continued, and many daily drugs have broken out of stock, and grass-roots pharmacies even have to "change drugs" to save themselves; the culprit is the government officials who are incompetent and love to intervene.
The egg shortage in Taiwan has lasted for more than a year.
The main reason is that the Council of Agriculture uses various methods to intervene in egg prices and wants to keep prices down, resulting in a lack of willingness to produce eggs and a reluctance to increase the amount of chicken raised.
Under such rigid market conditions, the supply of eggs is always insufficient, and the pressure of rising egg prices can not be alleviated, and the egg shortage problem of course continues to exist.
Chen Jizhong, chairman of the Council of Agriculture, said that he only promised to solve the "egg shortage" and did not say to solve the "egg price"; no one believes this statement, the facts prove that he has neither solved the egg shortage nor solved the egg price, and the egg market is still a lump of paste.
Eggs are ordinary people's daily food, whether the supply is insufficient or the price rises, will affect the people's sense of stability.
The formation of eggs from the shell to the laying of eggs, about 18 weeks.
Taiwan ’ s egg shortage, however, has lasted for 60 weeks, showing that excessive government intervention has caused egg farmers to lose their willingness to increase production, which has paralyzed market supply.
So far last year, the Russian-Ukrainian war has caused global grain prices to soar and feed prices to rise; the government does not let egg farmers reflect the cost, no matter how unreasonable repression.
Looking at it again, many commonly used Chinese and Western medicines have been out of stock recently, which is also related to government policy intervention; but compared to the egg shortage, the situation is more complicated and more worrying.
These drugs, from antibiotics, pain killers, fever reduction drugs, gastrointestinal drugs, soft stool, etc., a total of more than 100 kinds of drugs are commonly used in people's lives.
In the past six months, the situation has occurred that community pharmacies have repeatedly failed to call drugs, and many pharmacies can only respond with other pharmacies to meet the needs of patients.
Taiwan ’ s health insurance is known for its convenience and low price, but now there is a scene of “no medicine to buy ”. Who is violating the people ’ s right to health?
The Food and Drug Administration ’ s explanation for this “drug shortage ” is that many pharmaceutical companies have recently switched to production of Covid-19 related drugs, thus crowding out other drugs.
In fact, the global epidemic has come to an end, and this statement is outdated. The medical community believes that the more critical factor is that the government continues to reduce the price of health insurance drugs, and the proportion of drug costs in medical expenses should not be too high.
As a result of long-term repression, many drugs or pharmaceutical products are not produced by manufacturers because of their meager profits.
Worse, in addition to the lack of drugs, the quality of the drugs is constantly discounted, thus undermining the efficacy of the drugs.
After three years of fighting the epidemic, people have seen the Ministry of Health and Welfare fervently control the brand and quantity of vaccines, drugs, and reagents.
Of course, the free market is not a panacea for economic development. The government does not leave everything to the market to follow the flow, that is, to enjoy the benefits of the country and the people.
But on the other hand, such as the Tsai government's enthusiasm for regulation, intervention and subsidies, completely ignore the complex and interlaced factors in the market mechanism, and finally let the people suffer from price increases and shortage of goods, which is also an inevitable result.
Egg and medicine are just two recent examples. When it comes to oil and electricity, it is even more difficult to solve.
The Tsai government played a "visible hand", but the lack of goods and quality fell, but the people suffered. (Excerpt from the United Daily News editorial)
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"A probe has been launched to investigate the shortage of chemotherapies and other generic drugs, which is affecting cancer patients in the US."

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FTC, US Health Dept Launch Probe Over Chemo Drug Shortages

The investigation is targeting so-called middlemen that broker deals between hospitals and pharmaceutical companies.

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Each year, roughly 2 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer, and for some, getting the proper treatment has become a very serious waiting game.

This week, the Federal Trade Commission and the US Department of Health jointly launched a probe seeking information on how middlemen — group purchasing organizations (GPOs) and drug wholesalers — may be contributing to a lack of chemotherapies and other generic drugs.

The Cost of Cheap Drugs

While various cancer treatments have gone in and out of short supply for years, the problem became particularly acute in 2023. In May, a survey from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network found that 93% of treatment centers reported they were short on carboplatin and 70% reported they were short on cisplatin. Those two drugs are used together and are prescribed to 10% to 20% of cancer patients. Those shortage rates dropped in the fall, but still sat at uncomfortably high levels, with many patients experiencing longer wait times between chemo sessions.

Access to raw materials for making drugs and an increase in patients play a part in the shortages, but the FTC and the Health Department suspect the middlemen buying and selling the medications might be at the heart of the issue:

  • Hospital transactions for medications are controlled almost entirely by three GPOs — Vizient, Premier, and HealthTrust — that purchase drugs on behalf of health centers, and three wholesalers — AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson — that supply 90% of the pharmaceuticals, The Wall Street Journal reported.
  • Doctors, drugmakers, and patient advocate groups have argued that because the three GPOs represent so many hospitals, they’re able to win extremely low prices from wholesalers. But the prices may be so low that some drugmakers slash production or stop making the drugs entirely if they feel they can no longer turn a profit.

“For years Americans have faced acute shortages of critical drugs, from chemotherapy to antibiotics, endangering patients,” said FTC Chair Lina Khan. “Our inquiry requests information on the factors driving these shortages and scrutinizes the practices of opaque drug middlemen.”

A Growing Concern: A short supply of cancer treatments isn’t a great development, especially with new evidence that the disease is on the rise among younger generations. Most cancer patients are 65 and older, but one study published in JAMA last summer found cancer rates among people 50 and younger are going up, mostly driven by women and people in their 30s.

The reported medication shortage includes over 100 types of commonly used drugs, such as antibiotics, pain killers, and gastrointestinal drugs.

Medications affected by shortages include Ceftuluzan + tazobactam, priumanide, Ravidasvir, monoclonal antibodies to Ebola virus disease, and Cancer Drugs, which are used to treat various conditions such as multi-drug resistant bacteria, tuberculosis, hepatitis virus infection, and Ebola virus disease.

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Content: World Health Organization releases list of essential medicines for multiple sclerosis, cancer and heart
Sunday ، 30 July 2023 02: 00 PM
Director General of Global Health
I wrote Hope Allam.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published updated new versions of its Model Lists of Essential Medicines (EML) and Essential Medicines for Children (EMLc), which include important new medicines for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, cancer, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases.
These treatments can have a very significant impact on global public health without jeopardizing the health budgets of low- and middle-income countries.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, said: “For more than 40 years, countries around the world have relied on the WHO List of Essential Medicines as the ultimate evidence-based evidence as the most important medicines to achieve the greatest impact on health, rising prices and supply chain disruptions mean that all countries now face increasing problems in ensuring consistent and equitable access to many quality assured essential medicines. Faithful.
For the 2023 update, 85 applications, including more than 100 medicines and formulations, were considered by the WHO Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines. The recommended changes bring the total number of essential medicines and essential medicines for children to 502 and 361 respectively.
Multiple sclerosis drugs "MS"
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that weakens the nervous system and affects nearly 2.8 million people worldwide, so far, no drugs to treat it have been included in essential drugs, in 2023, 3 drugs that can delay or slow its progression - cladribine and glatiramer acetateo rituximab - were added to essential drugs to fill an important gap due to the large global burden of MS The inclusion of these drugs as treatment options for MS with different management methods, different prices (with availability of generic drugs and bioavailable alternatives) and various recommended uses, aims to facilitate improved access to treatment for people living with MS worldwide, the decision to support the use of off-label rituximab is supported by strong evidence of its efficacy and safety for this indicator.
The list is an important tool for achieving universal health coverage, providing guidance to governments, health facilities and those purchasing medicines that are of the best value in terms of benefits to individuals and communities.
“Due to the evidence and increased affordability of rituximab, including the availability of pre-qualified biostimulants, it has been prioritized over the alternatives on the label as an essential drug for the treatment of recurrent multiple sclerosis and progressive relapse. ”
Cardiovascular Drugs
Fixed dose combinations of multiple drugs (commonly called "multipill") for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, particularly cholesterol-lowering agents with one or more blood pressure lowering agents with and without acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) to essential drugs for the first time.
Infectious diseases.
New medicines listed for infectious diseases include:
Ceftuluzan + tazobactam, a group of "back up" antibiotics effective against multi-drug resistant bacteria, including hard-to-treat infections caused by carbapenem resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, priumanide for the treatment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis or rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis, Ravidasvir (used with sofosbuvir) for the treatment of hepatitis virus infection Chronic epidemiological in adults, monoclonal antibodies to Ebola virus disease.
Cancer Drugs
Two new cancer treatments have been added: doxorubicin linked to Kaposi ’ s sarcoma and pegfilgrastim to stimulate white blood cell production and reduce the toxic effect of certain cancer drugs on bone marrow, the indications for many pediatric cancer drugs already included in pediatric essential drugs have been extended to include new types of pediatric cancers (macrolymphoma, Langerhans cells, lymphoma In addition, those not recommended for inclusion include several patented, high-priced cancer drugs due to concerns about affordability and feasibility in low-resource settings, some of which were evaluated and rejected during previous committee meetings.
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Besides carboplatin and cisplatin, other medications found to be in short supply include methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, fludarabine, and hydrocortisone, with reported shortage rates ranging from 41% to 66% among surveyed centers.

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U.S. cancer centers report ongoing shortage of chemotherapy drugs

By Cara Murez, HealthDay News
In all, 72% of cancer centers surveyed reported a continued shortage of carboplatin. And 59% were still seeing a shortage of cisplatin. Photo by klbz/Pixabay

U.S. cancer centers continue to have shortages of commonly used chemotherapy drugs, a new survey shows, though the medications are not as scarce as they were last June.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a nonprofit alliance of leading cancer centers, surveyed its network in September.

In all, 72% of cancer centers surveyed reported a continued shortage of carboplatin. And 59% were still seeing a shortage of cisplatin.

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These two platinum-based generic chemotherapy medications are recommended for treating many different cancers. Overall, 86% of centers surveyed said they were short on at least one type of anti-cancer drug. A survey in June showed that 93% of cancer centers had a shortage of carboplatin, and 70% of cisplatin.

"Everyone with cancer should have access to the best possible treatment according to the latest evidence and expert consensus guidelines," said Dr. Robert Carlson, chief executive officer for NCCN.

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"Drug shortages aren't new, but the widespread impact makes this one particularly alarming. It is extremely concerning that this situation continues despite significant attention and effort over the past few months. We need enduring solutions in order to safeguard people with cancer and address any disparities in care," Carlson said in a NCCN news release. Twenty-nine of the NCCN's member institutions responded to the September survey. They include leading academic centers across the United States. The findings may not reflect additional challenges that smaller community practices serving rural and marginalized patients are experiencing. The centers surveyed were using strict waste management strategies, so nearly all were still able to provide the medications to all patients who needed them. Other medications in short supply included methotrexate, with 66% of centers reporting a shortage; 5-fluorouracil, with 55% falling short; fludarabine at 45%; and hydrocortisone at 41%.

"These drug shortages are the result of decades of systemic challenges," said Alyssa Schatz, NCCN's senior director of policy and advocacy. "We recognize that comprehensive solutions take time."

Schatz said the network appreciates those who have put forth proposals to improve investment in generics.

"At the same time, we have to acknowledge that the cancer drug shortage has been ongoing for months, which is unacceptable for anyone impacted by cancer today," Schatz said. "These new survey results remind us that we are still in an ongoing crisis and must respond with appropriate urgency."

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The organization is continuing to advocate for more supplies.

CNN recently reported that two other drugs used for cancer, vinblastine and dacarbazine, went into shortage in September.

"These drugs are particularly used to treat patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Hodgkin's lymphoma is probably one of the most curable types of cancers out there," Dr. Doug Hawkins of the Children's Oncology Group, a research organization, told CNN.

"The problem is never-ending. It is horrible," he added. "I mean, to say to a patient, 'we know how to treat your child, but we can't get the drugs,' and this is America, and it's 2023 -- it's crazy."

More information

The White House has more on strengthening the supply chain for cancer drugs.

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