Nationwide shortages of two dozen chemotherapy drugs are leading to rationing and delays in treatment for cancer patients, local and national authorities say.
“The most critical drugs that are being used to cure cancer, potentially, are just in short supply,” said Dr. Rupesh Parikh, an oncologist at Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada.
There are shortages of 23 chemotherapy drugs used to treat a wide range of cancers, according to data from the University of Utah Drug Information Service. Most of these are inexpensive generic drugs used for decades that serve as “the backbone of so many chemotherapy regimens,” said associate chief pharmacy officer Erin Fox, whose team at the university tracks drug shortages.
