Ep 3: Government in Action or Inaction (The Etherist, Season 1)

Anesthesiology News Presents

From the shortages of quinine during the U.S. Civil War to the sudden lack of saline bags in the wake of Hurricane Maria, the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry has continued to struggle with health care demands. Those resulting shortages have led to unique and complicated situations across the country throughout modern medical history. But one organization has always had the power to create meaningful change in that overburdened industry: the federal government. Using regulatory agencies and legislative efforts, people within government could use that power to force shifts in manufacturing practices to improve outcomes and eliminate disruptions in the drug supply chain. And after all this time the question still remains: Where should they start? How can the very same regulators and legislators who watched these problems arise make the necessary changes to reverse the course in this drug shortage crisis? Join us as we explore the possibilities of government action to fix the drug manufacturing system.