N.S. drug shortage hurts health care

A country-wide drug shortage is causing frustration in Nova Scotia, where customers are leaving their pharmacies with partially filled prescriptions or substitute medications.

For the past six months, dozens of generic versions of anti-depressants and antibiotics, including penicillin, have been in short supply across Canada.

Don Kyte, who has been a pharmacist in the Halifax area for 37 years, says the continuing shortage is frustrating and disappointing. Twenty partially filled prescriptions were tacked up on the board at Kyte's Pharmasave in Cole Harbour on Wednesday.

"We're doing the best that we can under the circumstances that we have," Kyte said. "What we're doing is we're splitting medications, we're going back to the doctor for alternate medications."  

People getting partially filled prescriptions must come back later for the remainder.

"There are unintended consequences, and that's really the issue," Kyte said. "It's increasing the price of health in Nova Scotia because the doctors are being distracted, we're being distracted, and people are having to come back a second or third time, so overall it's very disappointing."

The drug shortage is also a worry for doctors who can't prescribe the drugs patients need, and for sick people who might not get the best medication.

"We're getting a lot of calls from pharmacies who are having an inability to fill prescriptions given to patients," Dr. Howard Conter said.

A Halifax family physician, Conter has more than 2,000 patients and issues hundreds of prescriptions every month

"I'd be worried if it continues," he said. "If all of a sudden we're going to have less drugs available to us, then it will become a concern, especially with elderly patients or patients who have multiple medications."

Substitutions aren't a concern for some patients, however.

"We had to get another kind, another make, because of the shortage," Mary Ashe said. "It was cheaper."

Verna Stevens said she's not concerned, as long as the substitute drug addresses her medical problem.

"I guess that would be OK as long as it did the job," she said.

It's not clear what's causing the shortage, but manufacturing and pricing changes in Ontario may be to blame, Kyte said.

"There are rumors here and there, whether it's supply, or ability of raw ingredients, or something else. We're not apprised of any end to this."