HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Supply chain shortages are just about everywhere these days. From retail stores to grocery stores – now it could be impacting your local pharmacy.
Pharmacies in Alabama are running out of prescription medications. Some of those include heart medications, cancer drugs, inhalers and arthritis pain relief. Even some birth controls are in back order. Your pharmacy warns, do not wait until the last minute to order those vital medications.
“I’ve seen a logjam on couple of inhalers and certain other antibiotics have been going on and off on back order lately,” says Erin Fehrenbacher, pharmacist for Sparkman Pharmacy.
Sparkman Pharmacy has a few locations in Madison County that has a diverse population of patients in their network, so Dr. Fehrenbacher says it is important to maintain the medication inventory.
“It’s important to keep what we need on hand, keep on top of our inventory to make sure that we are serving those populations that are at risk, at need in the community,” Fehrenbacher continued. “We want to make sure we are doing everything that we can to reach every patient possible.”
Dr. Fehrenbacher says clients must keep in mind that most of the medications are manufactured overseas and even if that product left on time, it may present a problem reaching patient in a timely manner. The fair warning is to keep ordering ahead.
“If it’s something like an antibiotic when it’s the last minute you might have to shop around to different pharmacies,” Fehrenbacher concluded. “If it’s something like an inhaler that you take regularly make sure you are calling in your refill in advance not waiting until the last minute, so you don’t run out.”
The FDA says right now there are over 100 drugs on backorder. Most pharmacies that I spoke to say that they do not expect the logjam to be over until the end of this year or the beginning of next year.
