A new study published in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine reveals that there are severe shortages of some emergency room drugs critical to patient care. There are many drugs for which there are adequate substitutes.  But several medications have no corresponding generic alternative, which can threaten patient lives. Chicago Tribune: The study analyzed data from the University of Utah Drug Information Service, which receives drug shortage reports submitted through a public site administered by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Two practicing emergency room physicians assessed whether the reported shortages had to do with drugs used in ERs, then looked at whether they were associated with lifesaving or acute conditions. Of the nearly 1,800 drug shortages reported between 2001 and 2014, nearly 34 percent were used in emergency rooms. More than half (52.6 percent) of all reported shortages were of lifesaving drugs, and 10 percent of...(Read Full Post)