Two common chemotherapy drugs are in short supply in Alaska. Cisplatin and carboplatin are used to treat many types of cancer – like ovarian, bladder and testicular cancer. According to the state health department, oncology centers around Alaska and across the country are struggling to keep the drugs in stock. And, most centers are not able to put new patients on the drugs.
Andre Neptune, the executive director of pharmacy for Providence Alaska, said so far the oncology center has been able to meet the needs of current patients on the drugs. But Providence oncologists aren’t able to prescribe the drugs to new patients. And they don’t know if they’ll have interruptions in care in the future.
“We are kind of week-to-week,” said Neptune. “We know we have enough to treat through the end of next week. My hope and prayer is that we will get another shipment of carboplatin before then, and we will continue to go.”
According to the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, the shortage of carboplatin should start to ease in late June. For cisplatin, it is likely to ease in mid-July. But there are no guarantees.
Neptune said that carboplatin and cisplatin are never the only options for care for someone – though they might be a clear first choice. He said if people can’t start new care with the drugs or if their care gets interrupted, they should talk with their providers.
If the shortages of cisplatin and carboplatin worsen, Neptune said, Providence has a plan for designating who gets access first. He said they prioritize patients who are more likely to be cured by the treatment.
“We’ll look at treatments for pediatric patients. And for those patients for whom the treatment could greatly enhance or extend their lives. And that’s a difficult assessment to make,” said Neptune.
Neptune said this shortage is not unique. In the U.S., there have been drug shortages for the past 20 years. But, Neptune said the number of drug shortages has increased over that time. In this case, the shortage is due to a disruption for a major drug manufacturer in India. But shortages can also be caused by extreme weather or access to raw materials.
“Shortages are kind of our life in pharmacy right now,” said Neptune. “On any given day, if you were to walk into our department and talk to our inventory team, they’re struggling with some drug that’s in a shortage status.”
Neptune said Providence is in partnership with generic drug manufacturer Civica RX to address chronic shortages. But, it takes a long time to start producing a new drug.
Rachel Cassandra covers health and wellness for Alaska Public Media. Reach her at rcassandra@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Rachel here.
