JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A nationwide backlog on prescription pain medicine is impacting those looking to fill their prescriptions on the First Coast.
A viewer, who wants to remain anonymous, wrote First Coast News to say her pharmacist told her they couldn’t fill her hydrocodone prescription.
When she called around, she found out no one could fill her prescription – with pharmacy after pharmacy telling her they were on backlog.
THE QUESTION
Is there a shortage on hydrocodone right now?
SOURCES
American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists
Panama Pharmacy Owner Kevin Duane.
THE ANSWER
Yes, there is a shortage of hydrocodone tablets.
WHAT WE FOUND
“We are seeing a shortage on hydrocodone," said Duane. "Really, all of the opioid type pain medicines have come rolling on and off shortage lately.”
The American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists tracks drug shortages, with 245 drugs on the list as of November 15th, including hydrocodone tablets.
The ASHP says manufacturers like Amneal, Camber, Majors and Rhodes haven’t provided a reason for their shortages.
Camber and Rhodes have all of their packaging of hydrocodone on backorder, and neither company knows when they will be able to produce more.
Duane says recent public lawsuits against manufacturers, whole-sellers and pharmacy chains are contributing to the shortage.
“There are different regulations and different rules surrounding the distribution of these types of drugs," said Duane. "A lot of those things are adding up together at the same time, along with the normal supply chain problems to lead to these shortages.”
The amount of hydrocodone manufacturers are allowed to make has also dropped significantly in the last decade.
The Drug Enforcement Agency has a list of quotas for certain drugs on its website that ranges from 2012 until 2021.
Although data from the most recent two years isn’t available from the DEA, you can see the hydrocodone quota in 2021 was less than a third of what it was in 2015.
“Quantity does play a part in it. Smaller quantities and lower strengths tend to have less supply issues than higher strengths and higher quantities, more chronic quantities and strengths.”
Duane said between all of these factors, plus the DEA's plans to reduce the quota again in 2024, it’s difficult to know when the shortage will end.
His advice – go to your doctor and pharmacist to talk about it and possible alternative.
As far as the viewer who wrote us – she updated First Coast News that her physician was able to find her a weaker prescription strength.