FDA takes another step to ease shortages of drugs for Covid-19 patients on ventilators
The Food and Drug Administration has taken yet another step in a bid to reduce a shortage of medicines needed for Covid-19 patients on ventilators, this time by allowing small compound pharmacies to temporarily fill the void.
The agency will permit these compounders, which fill individual prescriptions, to supply hospitals unable to purchase medicines from the usual manufacturers or larger compound pharmacies. Also known as outsourcing facilities, the bigger compounders make and sell large quantities of medicines without requiring patient prescriptions. Last week, the FDA also began allowing outsourcing facilities to sell to hospitals.
