A Canada wide drug shortage is starting to take its toll on cancer patients in Alberta.
Two anti-nausea IV drugs taken before chemotherapy are now on short supply so patients will have to switch to pill form at a much higher price.
It is also more difficult to find the drugs.
“Although you’re being told to pick up your anti-nausea medication before your treatment there’s no guarantee the pharmacy will have them in stock,” says cancer patient Robin Smith-Peck, “if you have to delay your treatment you’re putting yourself slightly at risk, not to mention as you say the stress.”
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The shortage is a result of the company, Sandoz, slowing down production because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration raised safety concerns.
The slowdown came as a surprise to health officials in Canada.
“Health Canada and rest of us are caught on our back foot because nobody tells us this is going to happen,” says Oncologist Dr. Katia Tonkin, “I think if you know ahead of time that there’s going to be a problem let’s say 4, 5, 6 months ahead then you can go to other countries or other companies and say you do produce some, can you ramp up production? So I think you can deal with it if you have warning.”
Alberta’s Health Minister says he is working to make sure patients do not suffer financially because of the drug supply, but details have not been released.
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