Canada's Drug Shortage

From the BBC:
"Canada faces nationwide injectable drug shortage"

Canada faces a national shortage of key surgical drugs after a fire at a major manufacturing plant halted production. Some 90% of injectable drugs used in Canada are reportedly made by the firm. Hospitals have agreed to share drugs and are putting together contingency plans, but experts say plugging the supply gaps could take months. Healthcare workers say stricter government regulation is needed to stop drug shortages from developing into crises that could put patients at risk. Health officials in Canadian provinces have criticised the government's policy of making it voluntary for drug makers to warn of upcoming shortages, the Globe and Mail newspaper reports. The fire broke out at Sandoz's Boucherville plant in the Canadian province of Quebec at about 12:30 (17:30 GMT) on Sunday afternoon. The drug manufacturer has said that production, which was temporarily suspended in the wake of the fire, will resume next week. But healthcare practitioners, including HealthPro Canada, a bulk buyer that supplies medicines to a consortium of 255 Canadian hospitals, say it could be difficult to find alternative manufacturers for the drugs. It is reported that it could take six months to a year for new inventory to become available.

^ I guess this is a good example of why you should never have a monopoly. Because of a fire in one factory the whole country of Canada will now experience a shortage of drugs. Patients in Canada could now face pain or even death because of this. I know there are drug shortages in other countries (like cancer drugs in the US) and think this should be a wake-up call for all countries to have a Plan B, C, D, etc. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17320063