Nearly a third of U.S. hospital pharmacists say they were forced to ration, delay or cancel treatments as drug shortages in the United States approach an all-time high, according to a survey released on Thursday.
The shortages are especially critical for chemotherapy drugs used in cancer treatment regimens, with more than half of the 1,123 surveyed saying they had to limit the use of such treatments.
The survey was conducted between June 23 and July 14 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), an association which represents more than 60,000 pharmacists and technicians.
"In some cases, there are no alternatives to the affected drugs, which puts patients at risk. This issue requires quick action from Congress to address the underlying causes of shortages and ensure patients have the medications they need," said ASHP CEO Paul Abramowitz.
The number of U.S. drugs facing shortages - at 309 by the end of the second quarter - is already near a 10-year peak, according to ASHP, compared with an all-time high of 320 drugs.
The drugs in shortage include vital therapies such as steroids, cancer treatments and antibiotics.
In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was seeking new suppliers to ease shortages of methotrexate, one of the most commonly used cancer drugs, building on its push to shore up two other scarce chemotherapy medicines.
Reporting by Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath
Public health officials in three provinces have issued warnings this year about a rare bacterial infection that can lead to meningitis and death, with the most recent alert coming from Toronto.
The westbound lanes of the Gardiner Expressway have reopened after being blocked for several hours during Tuesday’s afternoon rush due to a fatal three-vehicle collision.
The reported birth of a rare white buffalo in Yellowstone National Park fulfils a Lakota prophecy that portends better times, according to members of the American Indian tribe who cautioned that it's also a signal that more must be done to protect the earth and its animals.
Rory McIlroy and his wife Erica have scrapped plans to divorce and are putting their marriage back together. They filed for a voluntary dismissal of the case on Tuesday.
Three brothers who attended a Saskatoon private Christian School were the first to testify at trial for the school’s former director on Monday.
SpaceX has retrieved several pieces of fallen debris in southern Saskatchewan, months after the space junk first landed in farmers' fields.
This summer will deliver above-normal average temperatures across the country, national warning preparedness meteorologist Jennifer Smith said Tuesday.
'I have about eight dollars,' C.J. Andrews said waiting in line at the food bank as he's done once a month for the past six months. The high cost of rent, groceries, phone and internet bills are dragging Andrews and his girlfriend down, but a basket of food once a month temporarily lifts them up.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party opposed the Liberals' plan to increase Canada's capital gains inclusion rate on Tuesday, in a vote that still passed with the backing of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois.
The search of Prairie Green landfill for the remains of two Indigenous women who were killed by an admitted serial killer is another step closer Tuesday as the Manitoba government has approved an alteration to the Environment Act licence.
The water main break in the Calgary community of Montgomery is expected to be fixed by Thursday so that flushing of the line and water quality testing can proceed, officials told city councillors on Tuesday morning.
A tentative deal as been reached with more than 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency employees, averting a potential job action that threatened to stall crossings at Canadian entry points, according to the workers' union.
Border agents in Gander, N.L., were unavailable or unwilling to process passengers on a diverted flight from Washington to Paris early Monday.
SpaceX has retrieved several pieces of fallen debris in southern Saskatchewan, months after the space junk first landed in farmers' fields.
'I have about eight dollars,' C.J. Andrews said waiting in line at the food bank as he's done once a month for the past six months. The high cost of rent, groceries, phone and internet bills are dragging Andrews and his girlfriend down, but a basket of food once a month temporarily lifts them up.
American investor Martin Shkreli is facing a new lawsuit for allegedly retaining and sharing recordings from a one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album that he was forced to sell following his 2017 conviction on securities fraud charges.
Noam Chomsky is hospitalized in his wife's native country of Brazil recovering from a massive stroke he had a year ago, she confirmed Tuesday.
Four people were shot at a food court in downtown Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon, including the suspect, the city's mayor said.
Activists from an animal rights group have vandalized the first official portrait of King Charles, currently on display in a London gallery.
Eight people from Tajikistan with suspected ties to the Islamic State group have been arrested in the United States in recent days, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
U.S. President Joe Biden showcased his administration's efforts to cut down on illegal gun trafficking and reduce crime at a gun violence prevention summit on Tuesday, just hours after his son Hunter was convicted of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun.
A global human-rights alliance affiliated with the United Nations says it is reviewing the Canadian Human Rights Commission's compliance with international principles.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party opposed the Liberals' plan to increase Canada's capital gains inclusion rate on Tuesday, in a vote that still passed with the backing of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois.
Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May says after having read the full unredacted version of a report stating some parliamentarians have participated in foreign interference, she is no longer worried about there being traitors sitting in the House of Commons.
Public health officials in three provinces have issued warnings this year about a rare bacterial infection that can lead to meningitis and death, with the most recent alert coming from Toronto.
A new study by the Investigative Journalism Bureau at the University of Toronto is shining a light on a persistent issue in schools and daycares across Ontario — lead in the drinking water.
A new study has found that social teens struggle with insomnia and are getting less sleep than their less social peers.
A man was able to seek recourse under B.C.'s Intimate Images Protection Act even though the video shared without his consent was filmed in and posted online from a different province.
Billionaire Elon Musk said on Monday he would ban Apple devices at his companies if the iPhone maker integrates OpenAI at the operating system level.
Space tourists experience some of the same body changes as astronauts who spend months in orbit, according to new studies published Tuesday.
Hundreds of fans lined up to meet the Trailer Park Boys in Dartmouth, N.S., Tuesday, as Ricky, Bubbles and Julian promoted their new brand of potato chips.
Inspired by her beloved dog, Jennifer Aniston will soon become a children's author.
Celine Dion says she experienced terrifying symptoms for years and decided to go public with her rare illness once the burden of lying to fans about her condition became 'too much.'
A panel of federal judges spent two hours on Tuesday wrestling with a series of legal issues raised in an attempt to overturn a fraud conviction that sent Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes to prison after a meteoric rise to Silicon Valley stardom.
Canada's banking sector is facing further consolidation as National Bank of Canada has reached an all-share deal to acquire Canadian Western Bank that values the lender at about $5 billion.
The union representing mechanics at WestJet says members voted overwhelmingly to reject a tentative agreement with the airline.
One of Canada's most prominent museums is reopening after an 18-month upgrade for "cutting-edge" base-isolation retrofitting that would allow it to survive a once-in-2,500-year earthquake.
Any air travel can be stressful, but facing down a long-haul flight can be especially intimidating.
The Oscars of the food world — the James Beard Awards — were handed out Monday night to many chefs and restaurants reflecting cultures and regions that have long been overlooked.
Rory McIlroy and his wife Erica have scrapped plans to divorce and are putting their marriage back together. They filed for a voluntary dismissal of the case on Tuesday.
George Mumford saw the notification pop up on his screen. The message via social media platform LinkedIn was from Edmonton Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson.
Albertans may be watching every second of the Stanley Cup final but most Canadians are not, according to a recent survey.
As automotive thefts continue to run rampant across Canada, auto insurers are forcing drivers to choose between installing costly anti-theft measures or paying higher premiums.
Kia will recall more than 20,000 Telluride SUVs in Canada over a fire risk and owners of 2020 to 2024 models are urged to park outside.
Stellantis-owned Chrysler is recalling more than 211,000 SUVs and pickup trucks in the U.S., due to a software malfunction that could disable the cars' electronic stability control systems.
Car break-ins plague Canadians across the country, but instead of worrying about theft, a northern Ontario woman is cleaning up a big mess that she says will not be covered by insurance after a black bear broke into her Honda Civic and took a nap.
Members of a Hutterite colony in southern Alberta have potentially built the world's tallest structure made of Popsicle sticks.
A dog who spent the first three-and-a-half years of his life suffering and almost a year at a shelter has found his forever home, according to the BC SPCA.
In most families, ringing in a 100th birthday is a massive milestone. Minni Pelman’s family certainly thinks so – as they celebrate her 108th birthday in the park outside her building.
Showing off the latest purchase in his Eaton's collection, Corey Quintaine joked he is rebuilding the former flagship store that used to sit at 320 Portage Avenue one Facebook Marketplace purchase at a time.
After learning about food security at school, 11-year-old Violette Ferguson wants fresh eggs and to change the rules around chickens in the city.
An Ontario powerlifter caught a mild cold last year. Six days later, he was fighting for his life in the ICU.
Marking a milestone, Lakeshore resident Olga White celebrated her 107th birthday in style Wednesday.
The municipality of Tantramar, N.B., is holding a sale to get rid of surplus items it acquired after the Town of Sackville amalgamated with smaller communities last year.
The audio from the final moments of 15-year-old Alfred Wong’s life were played for a jury at the murder trial of his accused killer in B.C. Supreme Court Tuesday.
Admitting she’s not happy about it and calling it an “NDP imposed” transition, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke nevertheless announced she is giving up her long battle to keep the RCMP.
Starting in September, Vancouver students from kindergarten to Grade 7 won’t be able to have their cellphones out at school.
A group of Mississauga homeowners hired a construction company with a reputable name, only to find out that it wasn’t the company they thought – setting into motion a series of bizarre events that ended with the arrest of a homeowner.
The westbound lanes of the Gardiner Expressway have reopened after being blocked for several hours during Tuesday’s afternoon rush due to a fatal three-vehicle collision.
The man who set a woman on fire at a Toronto transit station two years ago has been found not criminally responsible for her death and will now be detained in a hospital setting.
Change is coming at the Canadian Energy Centre, also known as the United Conservative Party's controversial energy war room.
The water main break in the Calgary community of Montgomery is expected to be fixed by Thursday so that flushing of the line and water quality testing can proceed, officials told city councillors on Tuesday morning.
Wicked winds ripped through southern Alberta on Tuesday evening.
A new study by the Investigative Journalism Bureau at the University of Toronto is shining a light on a persistent issue in schools and daycares across Ontario — lead in the drinking water.
Ottawa police are asking for the public's help identifying two suspects who were caught on video lighting a fire on the doorstep of a Merivale area home.
The City of Ottawa introduced Mathieu Grondin as the new 'nightlife commissioner' on Tuesday, the individual tasked with helping to shape the city's nightlife and shake off the image as the 'town that fun forgot.'
A New York woman is questioning if she'll ever fly out of Montreal again after her car was stolen from the airport parking lot and she says police aren't doing much to help her find it.
Montrealers should expect to see 200,000 more housing units and several tramways by 2050, according to a new vision for the city unveiled by Mayor Valerie Plante.
A man has come forward to talk about his mother who was killed in what appears to be a random attack in Laval.
Four people have been charged in connection with a theft case totalling about $3.1 million in the Camrose area, police announced Tuesday.
Oilers star Leon Draisaitl was penalized for his hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov halfway through the third period of the Panthers' 4-1 win but didn't receive additional discipline, such as a fine or suspension, for it.
Police in Lloydminster are looking for witnesses to a home invasion early Tuesday in which two people were injured.
A New Brunswick RCMP member has been charged after allegedly making an arrangement for the purpose of “facilitating sexual offences” with a person whom he believed to be under 16-years-old.
Hundreds of fans lined up to meet the Trailer Park Boys in Dartmouth, N.S., Tuesday, as Ricky, Bubbles and Julian promoted their new brand of potato chips.
Police in New Brunswick are investigating an incident at a popular swimming hole.
The search of Prairie Green landfill for the remains of two Indigenous women who were killed by an admitted serial killer is another step closer Tuesday as the Manitoba government has approved an alteration to the Environment Act licence.
Winnipeg police have shut down a stretch of Notre Dame Avenue for a police incident.
Mounties say they may have recovered the remains of Brittany Storey.
Space junk that landed near Ituna, Sask. earlier this year was collected by SpaceX on Tuesday morning.
June 5th, 2024 was another historic day for the Regina Rifles, as a statue dedicated to the regiment that stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day 80 years ago was officially unveiled at Place des Canadiens in Bretteville-l'Orgueilleuse, France.
As the Stanley Cup final heads into Game 3 on Thursday, there’s one Oilers fan here in Saskatchewan who is most likely the smallest, and sickest — but he’s sending positive winning vibes.
The University of Guelph is responding to concerns about their residence waitlist and complaints that international students are to blame.
Two dogs are now in the care of a local shelter after they were found severely injured in Cambridge.
A new 33-member crew has been tasked with taming the grass around the solar panels at Conestoga College’s Fountain Street campus in Cambridge.
More former students of a private Christian school in Saskatoon testified about corporal punishment they received at the hands of the school’s director on Tuesday.
As the Stanley Cup final heads into Game 3 on Thursday, there’s one Oilers fan here in Saskatchewan who is most likely the smallest, and sickest — but he’s sending positive winning vibes.
Medavie Health Services West wants people in Saskatoon to stop and check in on people who they believe may need medical help before calling 911.
Car break-ins plague Canadians across the country, but instead of worrying about theft, a northern Ontario woman is cleaning up a big mess that she says will not be covered by insurance after a black bear broke into her Honda Civic and took a nap.
Two competing chip stands in Sturgeon Falls located across the street from each other are both up for sale for more than a $1 million each.
Police in Timmins are warning the public about sharing misinformation online after finding a fake social media post about a missing teen.
London, Ont. police are investigating a ‘suspicious death’ in a residential neighbourhood in the west end of the city.
Jeffery Haggis told the court that he was one of the organizers of a bird dog competition at the Hullett Marsh, north of Clinton, Ont., on Sept. 13, 2014.
A Sarnia plastics plant accused of emitting elevated levels of benzene into the environment is shutting down by June of 2026.
The owner of a downtown Barrie business targeted by multiple break-ins, thefts and vandalism is closing up shop.
One person was seriously injured in a collision involving a transport truck and a car in Barrie.
The father of a 17-year-old Barrie boy who was lured out of his home and shot to death in 2021 spoke in court on Tuesday at the sentencing hearing for one of the young men who pleaded guilty in the case, describing the nightmare he has lived since finding his son's lifeless body.
Travellers and cross-border workers in Windsor-Detroit can breathe sigh of relief as Canada Border Services Agency workers have reached a tentative deal, according to the union.
The Gordie Howe Bridge is officially an international crossing.
Two vacant and boarded up homes are situated across the street from Elaine Lucas’ house.
A man was able to seek recourse under B.C.'s Intimate Images Protection Act even though the video shared without his consent was filmed in and posted online from a different province.
It’s called the Community Healthcare System Support Playbook and it has been two years in the making.
This summer is shaping up to be warmer than average across the country, Environment and Climate Change Canada says. Except one region is an outlier—coastal British Columbia.
Mounties in Penticton, B.C., say an elderly woman was assaulted while stepping off of a transit bus last week.
Firefighters made quick work of a brushfire at a farm in Okanagan Falls, B.C., on Saturday afternoon.
The former bookkeeper for a Kelowna, B.C.-based company has been handed a six-year prison sentence for defrauding more than $1 million from her employer.
Summer is just about in full swing with temperatures set to reach more than 20 C over the next few days, but Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) says things may only get hotter from here.
A female undercover officer who infiltrated the 2022 border blockade at Coutts, Alta., told court the job is surveillance and interdiction, but seduction is not a tool of the trade.
Members of a Hutterite colony in southern Alberta have potentially built the world's tallest structure made of Popsicle sticks.
Two competing chip stands in Sturgeon Falls located across the street from each other are both up for sale for more than a $1 million each.
Paramedics rallied outside the offices of the District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board as the union that represents them continues to call for a return to the bargaining table to resume contract talks.
Hospital cash lotteries have become very popular fundraisers across the north and now dozens of Ontario health care facilities are teaming up for a brand new one.
Border agents in Gander, N.L., were unavailable or unwilling to process passengers on a diverted flight from Washington to Paris early Monday.
The government of Newfoundland and Labrador is launching a disability benefit that will top up the federal government's recently announced aid program.
A thick and heavy fog has been laying siege to the skies over St. John’s, and drawing a heavy toll from some airplane passengers who’ve seen their travel plans pummelled with no end in sight.
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