What is causing the shortage of phenobarbital elixir?
Question posted by krisandsheridan on 12 March 2022
Last updated on 12 March 2022 by janiebme
We currently (March, 2022) are having great difficulty obtaining phenobarbital elixir for our daughter. Until recently we received it through the manufacturer "Par", from which it is no longer available. Past refills had been obtained from "Bioramo". Recently a partial fill was recently received through "E5 Pharma", and then most recently a fill through "Rising". The listing of pharmaceutical companies in the USA currently only shows "Rising". We have been told by a pharmacist that some manufacturers were no longer going to be making Phenobarbital. In the past our daughter has not received a sufficient therapeutic response to some manufacturers.
What happened to Par? Who are Bioramo and E5 Pharma? These three cannot be found in the Drugs.com listing.
What is occurring to cause the shortage and inability to obtain the drug from a manufacturer know to be beneficial for our daughter? How can we navigate this problem and obtain this drug needed by our daughter? As a qualitative remark this is an issue greater than providing quality of life, as this drug is one of other daily anti-epileptic drugs necessary to sustain our daughter's life.
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Answers
JA
janiebme
12 March 2022
Hi kd- Unfortunately many forces can create this shortage. Political motives to take all schedule V drugs off the market. If drugs are no longer under its patent limit and can go generic, less cost, less big Phar. money, less reason to manufacture. Foreign influence. Is it made in the US? Import/export regulations. Limited amounts available to pharmacies. You probably already have looked in the medical marijuana. Unfortunately the truth may be hidden under many layers. Wish you the best with your daughter, keep researching and advocating. There are advocates in our government system that may help you. Start with your local governor, make your voice heard.