Lack of TB drugs in the U.S. causing concern

A report indicates that U.S. tuberculosis patients are at risk due to a shortage of suitable drugs and associated medication.

The report comes from the National Tuberculosis Controllers Association. The report states that insufficient tuberculosis drug stocks are complicating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) treatment in the United States. According to the Chicago Tribune, the association put its TB drug shortages report together after surveying treatment programs in place across the U.S., discovering that multidrug resistant patients and a lack of available treatments often went hand-in-hand. In the study, quoted by Medscape, the authors write: “Second-line drugs are essential for treating multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis. Shortages and other problems that hinder access to SLDs interfere with patient care and could promote the development of drug resistance as well as the transmission of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.” The report contains various case studies which describe the impact of drug shortage son patients and their families. These are designed to illustrate the risks of drug shortages. The reasons for the shortages include delays in shipping and trouble getting hold of specific treatment types. The shortage of drugs is also a matter of concern, notes Medline Plus, to the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).