A meningitis outbreak has patients all across the country worried about their wellbeing. An estimated 14,000 people may have been exposed to the contaminated steroid injections which led to the health scare that has already claimed the lives of 23 patients amid 16 different states. 280 instances of fungal meningitis have been confirmed at this time, and that number could rise.
However, concerns have now arisen that a drug shortage could affect various parts of the country. The potential shortage is the result of a shutdown of Ameridose. Although no Ameridose item has been tied to a case of fungal meningitis, the company is owned by the people behind the New England Compounding Center. It was this latter company that was responsible for distributing the contaminated drugs to doctors across the country.
Halting production at the Ameridose plant is seen as a purely precautionary step. The step was taken on October 10, and it’s expected to last until at least November 5 so that inspectors from the Food and Drug Administration can conduct their activity.
Unfortunately, this temporary production stoppage might also lead to there not being enough Ameridose drugs to go around. Doctors are being asked to consult an FDA website to figure out what drugs might be in short supply, but at this moment, a list of affected items has not been made publicly known, nor has a list of those institutions potentially affected.