In this aerial image, damage is seen to a Pfizer pharmaceutical factory after a tornado hit the facility two days earlier, on July 21, 2023 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
Sean Rayford | Getty Images
Pfizer
on Monday said it has restarted most production lines at a drug manufacturing plant that was severely damaged by a tornado two months ago. However, there may be a shortage of some medicines from the facility until at least mid-2024.
Pfizer emphasized that this is just the initial step towards the complete recovery of its Rocky Mount plant in North Carolina. The company anticipates that full operations will resume by the end of this year.
The Rocky Mount plant is responsible for supplying almost 8% of all sterile injectable medicines used in U.S. hospitals, including anesthesia, analgesia, therapeutics, anti-infectives, and neuromuscular blockers. Additionally, it manufactures approximately 25% of Pfizer’s drugs in this category.
In August, Pfizer issued a warning to hospitals about potential supply disruptions for certain medicines.
According to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ database, one injection, specifically a sodium chloride injection used for replenishing water and salt lost due to certain conditions, was experiencing a shortage as of last month.
Yesterday, Pfizer confirmed the restart of production for about 13 medicines. These drugs were prioritized based on patient need and inventory levels. However, the company did not disclose the specific medications.
Pfizer continues to monitor emergency request orders for certain medicines produced at the Rocky Mount plant. In August, the company implemented an emergency ordering process for 12 drugs with a high medical need.
This announcement from Pfizer comes at a time when the U.S. is already grappling with an unprecedented scarcity of medicine, including ADHD pills, pain relievers, and injectable cancer therapies. These shortages are primarily a result of manufacturing quality control issues and surges in demand.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
