How Chemotherapy Drug Shortages Impact Patient Care

Drug shortages are a common issue in the health care industry. Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) is highly skilled at proactively managing the drug supplies it needs to care for patients. However, a recent shortage of two critical chemotherapy drugs is impacting the lives of cancer patients and forcing oncologists to find alternative treatment options that are often less effective.

National supplies of Cisplatin and Carboplatin, vital in the life-saving treatment of lung, breast, ovarian, testicular, bladder and head-neck cancers, are now depleted. FCS has taken a leadership role in advocating for action to fix the issue and sounding alarms in Washington and across the globe.

Lucio N. Gordan, MD, FCS President & Managing Physician, talked recently with Bloomberg Law about the factors causing the shortages and the challenging impacts to oncology practitioners and their patients. “In 21 years in oncology, I’ve never had to do this before,” Dr. Gordan noted.

Jennifer Bradley, an FCS patient being treated for breast cancer, also shared her experience when the drug became unavailable and altered her treatment plan. “You don’t anticipate that in America you are not going to be able to get the drugs you need for your full treatment program,” she said.