Drug Shortages, Price Gouging, and Our Broken Health Care System

Drug Shortages, Price Gouging, and Our Broken Health Care System

The shaming campaign that followed last week’s news of two generic drug prices somersaulting into the stratosphere after being acquired by private companies is not too surprising. The idea that a drug which cost $13.50 one day can cost $750 the next, seemingly on the whim of greedy Wall Street investors and pharma start-ups, is fodder for the outrage machine.

But what the outrage machine does not realize is the extent to which the generic healthcare supplies are constantly on the brink of shortage.

Every week I get a “ drug shortage report ” by email from my hospital. It lists the various items in short supply....