US FDA flags shortage of medication used to treat breathing conditions

[March 09, 2023]  (Reuters) - The U.S. health regulator said on Wednesday that it is working to address a shortage of a particular form of albuterol, a medication used to treat breathing conditions, as its sole manufacturer Akorn has stopped production.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added that it is working closely with manufacturers in the supply chain to "understand, mitigate and prevent or reduce any related impacts" due to the shortage of the medication.

"All other strengths and vial sizes are currently available to meet market demand at hospitals and beyond," the FDA said on Twitter.

The shortage only impacts a very specific dosage form of the medication generally used in hospitals and that it does not impact albuterol inhalers for personal use, according to the regulator.

The corporate logo of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is shown in Silver Spring, Maryland, November 4, 2009. U.S. health officials unveiled plans to fight avoidable injuries from medication errors or misuse, a problem that harms hundreds of thousands of people each year and can be deadly. REUTERS/Jason Reed

(Reporting by Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

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