Your Prescriptions and the Corona Virus

[Midnightmom]

 

 

[Jeepers]

Restrictions covering drugs including paracetamol prompt fears of global shortage

 

The coronavirus outbreak has led India to restrict the export of dozens of drugs including paracetamol and various antibiotics, leading to fears of a global shortage of essential medicines.

 

On Tuesday, concerns over supply chain shortages led the Indian government to place limits on the export of 26 pharmaceutical ingredients and the medicines and vitamins made from them.

 

The restricted drugs include paracetamol, antibiotics such as tinidazole and erythromycin, the hormone progesterone, which is used in the contraceptive pill, and and vitamins B12, B1 and B6. The drugs account for 10% of all India’s pharmaceutical exports.

 

India is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of drugs, with the US and Europe heavily reliant on the supply.

India’s pharmaceutical companies source about 70% of their ingredients from Chinese factories, many of which have been shut for weeks owing to the coronavirus outbreak. The closure of airports in China has also impeded supplies reaching India

 

While many Indian factories had stockpiled ingredients due to the lunar new year, those supplies are running low and most factories are covered only until the end of March.

 

Sahil Munjal, the vice-chair of the pharmaceutical export promotion council of India, said the restrictions could have a lasting impact on the global availability of commonly used drugs.

 

“In India we have maximum dependency on China, so if things do not improve in March and China’s factories do not reopen then it is going to be a big, big disruption in global logistics and in the market,” Munjal said.

 

He said the impending shortages were already pushing up prices. “If coronavirus goes on much longer, there will definitely be an impact on Indian plants and then 100% there will be a shortage of these medicines across the world. And right now it is very difficult to know what is happening in China, so we don’t know when the factories might open again.”

 

Indian pharmaceutical companies said they were still unclear what the restrictions entailed. More than 50% of India’s drugs are made for export, and many drugs produced in India cannot be sold on the domestic market.

 

Jatish Sheth, the director of Srushti Pharmaceuticals, said: “These are everyday products and the idea with the restrictions is to prevent a shortage in the country. But this will have a global impact.”

 

Sheth said pharmaceutical companies in India were worried about the situation. “If things in China start moving now, there might not be a very acute shortage,” he said. “But if they do not then it is going to be a serious problem.”

 

While some of the ingredients are also produced in factories outside China, the strict regulation of drug production means Indian factories cannot simply source them elsewhere.

 

 

In the US, Dr Stephen Hahn, the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), told the Senate health committee on Tuesday that there was uncertainty over the impact India’s ban would have. “We’re working very closely to look at that list to assess how that will affect the medical supply chain,” he said.

 

 

India’s government urged people not to panic and said there were enough stocks of the medicines to last three months. Kedar Upadhye, the chief financial officer of Cipla, one of India’s largest pharmaceutical companies, said: “Being aware of the dependence of pharmaceutical supply chain on China sourcing materials, we are making efforts to enhance our supply robustness and improve the forward cover for various materials. At this stage we don’t see any large disruption. However, we continue to watch the situation.”

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/04/india-limits-medicine-exports-coronavirus-paracetamol-antibiotics

 

 

I've read in other links it also includes erythromycin, metronidazole, lidocaine, neomycin and clindamycin.

[Littlesister]

This coronavirus is going to hurt people in more ways than just getting the virus. 

DH and I do not take Ace inhibitors as we are unable to take them. So good there and we take metformin for our diabitics.  But DH's heart doctor told him he is not to leave house for any reason unless it was doctor. And we may cancel our phys. at end of month. Unsure about that yet. Wait and see situation. 

That is all some very good info.  I knew we were going to have shortages and I have already prepared for that. I ordered what is called sugar blocker. So if need be we will be holding out on the metformin and watching our sugars close. Only taken metformin if high. Though I have already tried the sugar blockers and my sugar levels have been really good. It is called GlucoBurn from Primal labs. You have to order it. Not in stores.

My fish need some more antibiotics. Time to buy some. They look a bit frail these days.

[Mt_Rider]

THANKS, Midnight!  I recognize the drug....meaning DH has been on it.  Not sure if he is now but sending that link to him.  Wouldn't that be ironic if the medication causes the problem?  Course without the med, other bad things happen.  Life is really complicated!   

 

MtRider  .....sorry about your poor fish, Little Sister.   

[Jeepers]

Wow. I just clicked on the link that I had posted down in the basement for fish and bird antibiotics just out of curiosity to see if anything had sold out.

 

They don't even have a link to click on for anything fish or bird related. Only cats and dogs. No mention of antibiotics any place on their site. I expected to see sold out signs but I didn't expect to see links just disappear and the entire fish and bird categories gone with no explanation. It's like it never existed. 

[Cowgirl]

I am SOOO glad we re-stocked fish and bird meds last fall. Sounds like the business ran out and removed the item to avoid issues with too many hits on their site.
 

I worry about our eldest daughter - type 1 diabetic. She has “good” insurance, but as we’ve learned recently, that doesn’t mean a lot. 

[Mt_Rider]

5 hours ago, Jeepers said:

didn't expect to see links just disappear and the entire fish and bird categories gone with no explanation. It's like it never existed. 

 

Wellllllll....they might have had a run on ....y'know, sick fish..... 

 

 

But I hope there wasn't some trouble with SO MANY PEOPLE having ...ahem, sick fish.     You'd think TPTB would have more 'fish to fry' than suddenly addressing this issue. 

 

MtRider    

 

 

[Littlesister]

Joe Alton MD and nurse Amy, Doom and Bloom. 

https://fishmoxfishflex.com/collection/birdazithro-azithromycin-250mg

 

It will say 404 page not found. Go down to where it says best sellers and hit fish mox. It will take you to page. They have it.

Edited March 16, 2020 by Littlesister

[Jeepers]

Thomas Labs was who I bought directly from and the Joe and Any bottles say they are from Thomas Labs. Something isn't adding up. 

[Midnightmom]

On 3/13/2020 at 4:09 PM, Jeepers said:

paracetamol

 

For those who don't know, this is acetaminophen (Tylenol).

[Midnightmom]

Do NOT self-medicate for this pandemic!

Quote

An Arizona man has died after ingesting chloroquine phosphate — believing it would protect him from becoming infected with the coronavirus. The man's wife also ingested the substance and is under critical care.

The toxic ingredient they consumed was not the medication form of chloroquine, used to treat malaria in humans. Instead, it was an ingredient listed on a parasite treatment for fish.

 

The man's wife told NBC News she'd watched televised briefings during which President Trump talked about the potential benefits of chloroquine. Even though no drugs are approved to prevent or treat COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, some early research suggests it may be useful as a therapy.

"We were afraid of getting sick."

The name "chloroquine" resonated with the man's wife, who asked that her name not be used to protect the family's privacy. She'd used it previously to treat her koi fish.

"I saw it sitting on the back shelf and thought, 'Hey, isn't that the stuff they're talking about on TV?'"

The couple — both in their 60s and potentially at higher risk for complications of the virus — decided to mix a small amount of the substance with a liquid and drink it as a way to prevent the coronavirus.

"We were afraid of getting sick," she said.

Within 20 minutes, both became extremely ill, at first feeling "dizzy and hot."

"I started vomiting," the woman told NBC News. "My husband started developing respiratory problems and wanted to hold my hand."

She called 911. The emergency responders "were asking a lot of questions" about what they'd consumed. "I was having a hard time talking, falling down."

Shortly after he arrived at the hospital, her husband died.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/man-dies-after-ingesting-chloroquine-attempt-prevent-coronavirus-n1167166?fbclid=

 

 

 

Edited March 25, 2020 by Midnightmom

[Mt_Rider]

Thanks, Midnight.  I was about to post this ......

 

MtRider  .....y'all be careful cuz this substance was NOT an equivalent to the med they are talking about. 

[Ambergris]

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/

[Mt_Rider]

Thanks.....sent link on to DH.  He has a few now.  Will have one more shortly....if it will work for lowering cholesterol.  Statins did not work for him.  In the recent past, we didn't have any reliance on the 'scripts. 

 

MtRider   .....yay, old age, right?  

[Jeepers]

Thanks Ambergris. None of mine are on the list...yet

[Midnightmom]

On 3/24/2020 at 8:15 PM, Mt_Rider said:

MtRider  .....y'all be careful cuz this substance was NOT an equivalent to the med they are talking about. 

 

Just in case anyone here STILL thinks this was Trump's "fault"......

It turns out that the wife used the President's announcement to murder her husband and throw police off of the scent by saying they were "following the President's advice." 

 

Woman Who Blamed Trump after Giving Her Husband Fish-Tank Cleaner Now Under Investigation for Murder

 

 

Quote

 

Police Investigating Case of Woman Who Blamed Trump after Giving Her Husband Fish-Tank Cleaner

The Washington Free Beacon, which first reported that Wanda was a “prolific” Democratic donor and that she had a troubling relationship with her husband that included a previous domestic assault charge, revealed Tuesday night that Mesa City Police Department is conducting a criminal investigation into the death of Gary, and requested recordings of the Free Beacon’s interviews with Wanda.

 

 

[TheCG]

On 7/1/2020 at 2:18 PM, Midnightmom said:

 

Just in case anyone here STILL thinks this was Trump's "fault"......

It turns out that the wife used the President's announcement to murder her husband and throw police off of the scent by saying they were "following the President's advice." 

 

Woman Who Blamed Trump after Giving Her Husband Fish-Tank Cleaner Now Under Investigation for Murder

 

...does Wanda have a friend named MaryAnn?

[Midnightmom]

On 7/8/2020 at 3:44 PM, TheCG said:

...does Wanda have a friend named MaryAnn?

 

I'm sorry, but I don't get the question. 

[Ambergris]

There's a country song where two friends poisoned one's abusive husband.  Good Bye, Earl.

[TheCG]

On 7/10/2020 at 2:46 PM, Midnightmom said:

 

I'm sorry, but I don't get the question. 

 

It's from this.  Brought up a LOT of questions regarding the differences society allows in male-on-female violence versus female-on-male violence.  Short story: Best friends, one marries an abusive jerk who puts her in the ICU AFTER she gets a restraining order, so they decide he has to go.