In an informal survey of nearly 2,500 anesthesiologists conducted by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, 98 percent of respondents said they “regularly experience drug shortages at their institutions.” More than 95 percent say those shortages impact the way they treat their patients. One reason behind the shortages is pharmaceutical industry consolidation — there are now fewer manufacturers than in the past. Grant explains that a production interruption at any one plant can cascade into a serious shortage.

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