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Blood Bag Shortage Hinders Donations

Becker's Hospital Review notes collection of universal type O-negative blood has been particularly impacted by recent problems with supply of collection bags — including "double dose" versions. Also in the news: Mark Cuban's efforts to solve drug shortages, amoxicillin alternatives, and more.

Blood bag shortages nationwide, particularly for the only universal blood type, O-negative, has been causing organizations to issue an urgent appeal to donors, multiple sources report. The Arkansas Blood Institute reported losing hundreds of units of Type O-negative blood a month because of recent blood bag shortages. (Schoonover, 11/23)

More on drug shortages —

Mark Cuban is in talks with hospitals to identify generic drugs that often run in short supply, which he aims to make in a robotics-driven manufacturing plant currently in development in Dallas. Mr. Cuban appeared on the Motley Fool podcast Nov. 23 with host Chris Hill to talk about disrupting healthcare, which Cost Plus Drugs has managed to do since its establishment in May 2020. (Gamble, 11/23)

Amid a shortage of the antibiotic amoxicillin, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued guidance on alternatives to the oral powder formulation for suspension in its Red Book Online. (11/23)

Drugmakers have offered little insight into the reasons for the shortages, other than to blame surging demand. In the case of amoxicillin, demand has become particularly acute amid a so-called tripledemic of Covid, respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and the flu that are converging this season. (Wile, 11/23)

In other pharmaceutical news —

Ken Frazier, the former chief executive of Merck, has been the preeminent pharmaceutical CEO of his era. He is also likely the most prominent CEO to have spoken out against the former president, Donald Trump. (Herper, 11/28)

Starting next year the highest-grossing drug of all time, AbbVie‘s Humira, will finally face competition from copycat biologics in the U.S. Yet the makers of the complex generics known as biosimilars won’t necessarily be the biggest winners. The top beneficiaries could instead be the middlemen such as Cigna and CVS Health, which will negotiate and dispense the drugs to patients. (Wainer, 11/27)

As disease raced through her body, Ruby suffered unrelenting pain for years. She’s the patient John Yost had in mind when he decided to open a charitable pharmacy in Kansas City, Kansas, for people who can’t afford their prescriptions. Researching the need, the data about drug costs and usage in the United States stunned him. (Gutierrez, 11/27)

On medical marijuana and cannabis —

Urgency is building in the Senate to get cannabis legislation passed before the year is over. The specter of a Republican-led House has lit a fire under proponents of cannabis banking legislation, according to three House and Senate staffers involved in discussions on both sides of the aisle. (Fertig, 11/23)

To most parents, the idea of giving marijuana to their underage children is simply unimaginable. But a few say they had no other choice. (Adams, 11/25)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.