As many deal with respiratory viruses this time of year, pharmacists are saying they continue to see shortages of for patients; common liquid antibiotics and other shortages of drugs for more critical needs including chemotherapy.

“Really, there needs to be an all-hands-on-deck approach to solving drug shortages,” said Upstate Community Hospital Director of Pharmacy Peter Aiello. “This isn't something that just impacts the hospital pharmacy or your local retail chain. It really is something that spans the continuum of care. And we really need to make more of a public awareness campaign towards this, because there the solution is going to be legislation, whether it be at the state or federal level, and that's something that we as pharmacists have been advocating for years.”

A Federal Trade Commission inquiry, announced this month, is focused on whether concentration among the drug industry intermediaries “has disincentivized suppliers from competing in generic drug markets.” The FTC is asking for the public to share experiences and concerns related to drug shortages as well.