Bipartisan Group of Senators Asks FDA to Examine Drug Shortages

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is being urged to give Congress recommendations on how to deal with drug shortages across the United States, reports The Hill . A bipartisan coalition of 31 senators, led by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), has called on the agency to have its Drug Shortages Task Force probe the cause of the shortages and develop policy recommendations on how to resolve the issues before the end of next year. Their letter to Gottlieb especially notes shortages of some routinely used medicines, including local anesthetics and sterile intravenous fluids. "These are essential products used every day, and for many of them there are no suitable alternatives that are readily available," the senators wrote. "This can result in suboptimal pain control or sedation for persons, and ultimately limit ... access to the most appropriate care."