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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) released the following response to the statement by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on FDA’s work to mitigate drug shortages:
“Today’s announcement by Dr. Gottlieb is a welcome sign of a renewed federal government commitment to addressing this important public health issue. We are particularly encouraged by Dr. Gottlieb’s intentions to evaluate FDA’s current authorities to see what more can be done to help front-line health care providers like physician anesthesiologists.” ASA President James D. Grant, M.D., M.B.A., FASA, said “Physician anesthesiologists are facing an unprecedented shortage of injectable anesthetics and intravenous pain medications - drugs critical to ensuring that patients are safe and their pain is managed during surgical and other interventional procedures. Drug shortages, as described by Dr. Gottlieb, have also resulted in delays and even cancellation of care. ASA and our physician anesthesiologist members are eager to work collaboratively with FDA and other stakeholders to ensure providers and patients have access to the critical medicine and care that they need to preserve safe, high-quality anesthesia care.”
ASA is a leader in the medical community on the drug shortages issue and works with other stakeholders, including federal agencies and Congress to ensure the appropriate parties are aware of the impact shortages have on patient care. Earlier this year, ASA conducted an informal survey of its membership which found that more than 98 percent of respondents noted that they now regularly experience drug shortages at their institutions and more than 95 percent of respondents said the shortages impact the way they treat their patients. For more information on this issue, please visit asahq.org/drug-shortages.
