The pandemic may be over, but drug shortages are not.

From cancer drugs to ADHD medications, drug shortages threaten to disrupt treatment for short-term diseases and chronic illness, and potentially threaten people’s health. In South Florida, the shortages have some people going from pharmacy to pharmacy to get their prescription filled. The Associated Press reports that  prescriptions for ADHD treatments surged among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, fueling shortages.

The four main categories where shortages prevail in 2024 are ADHD medications, chemotherapy drugs, weight-loss drugs, and the commonly used antibiotic, amoxicillin, in powdered form.

As of January, 125 different medications are in short supply in the U.S. — from injections to tablets. Some of the more commonly used medications experiencing shortages are Albuterol for asthma and Clonazepam for panic disorders and anxiety. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration maintains a searchable database where Americans can learn if a medication is experiencing a shortage, whether a previous shortage has been resolved, and if a drug has been discontinued.

So far in 2024, some new drugs have been added to those in short supply:

  • Diazepam injection: This medication is used for anxiety, muscle spasms, seizures and alcohol withdrawal. Three solutions are on back order.
  • Lenalidomide capsule: 23 solutions of the drug for myelodysplastic syndrome patients are in shortage.
  • Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate capsule: Ten manufacturers are reporting a shortage in supply for this attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) drug because of regulatory delays, demand increases and an ingredient shortage.
  • Mercaptopurine tablet: Four solutions of the chemotherapy drug used for cancer treatments are in shortage.
  • Rho(D) immune globulin: This medication is given to mothers during and after pregnancy. One of the makers of the antibody, Kedrion Biopharma, has three solutions in shortage.
  • Liraglutide injection: This medication is used to control blood sugar levels in adults and children with type 2 diabetes. It also is being used for weight loss.
  • Carboplatin injection: This drug is used to treat cancer of the ovaries.

Drug shortages “are an ongoing concern in the U.S.,” a new federal report states. The shortages often impact consumers by creating higher out-of-pocket costs, higher insurance premiums, and can lead to adverse health outcomes.

Along with shortages, drug costs are rising. On Wednesday, new research revealed drug makers have raised prices on about 775 brand name drugs, including the popular weight loss medications, Ozempic and Mounjaro. Eloquist, a popular blood thinner from Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer saw its list price jump 6% to about $594 for a month supply, according to research by 46brooklyn and the Wall Street Journal. At the same time,  the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is beginning negotiations to bring down drug prices for some of the more costly drugs.

A sleep clinic like no other

Many people in South Florida have sleep issues — either they have trouble falling asleep, or staying asleep. New research shows people lose 113 nights of sleep a year due to stress.

Across the region, sleep clinics are popping up, and store shelves are filling up with products aimed at getting a better night’s sleep.  Recently, a tip to sleep in socks for a better night’s sleep has the internet abuzz with opinions.

PROSOMNIA Sleep Health and Wellness has a unusual concept it has brought to South Florida to help people with sleep issues. Customers come in and are put into a REM sleep for about an hour through an anesthesia-induced IV infusion. The goal is to restore your natural sleep cycle and get you back into sleeping through the night.

The procedure at the Aventura clinic is conducted by trained anesthesiologists and medical professionals, said Nyree Penn, founder and a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant.  There’s a screening that happens first to determine the cause of the sleep issue and medical history.

“We have to make sure you are healthy enough to have a sleep session,” Penn said.  “This is a real medical procedure, so we make sure you don’t have problems with anesthesia.”

Penn says the theory behind PROSOMNIA is to reset your sleep. “Once your REM sleep issue is resolved, your sleep cycle can improve.”

Many of her patients have built up a resistance to sleep medications, Penn said. Some patients need only one treatment. Some may need more, she said.

A new brain health center in South Florida

If you want to know your Alzheimer’s risk or detect early onset, you may want to visit the new brain health center in Boca Raton.

Thema Brain Health has opened a cognitive brain health center on the campus of the Research Park at FAU in Boca Raton. The center aims to help people in South Florida with detecting the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and other related dementias by providing brain health assessments and remediation. Through various assessment products, Thema specialists identify genetic and lifestyle risk factors of Alzheimer’s and dementia and offer methods to improve those areas to help prevent progression of the diseases.

Along with serving patients, Thema Brain Health plans to become an important training site for FAU medical students and resident physicians. Thema Brain Health will work closely with FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine and other FAU colleges and departments.

“Neurologists and neuropsychologists are swamped with patients,” Seth Harlem, co-founder and CEO of Thema Brain Health said in a statement. “This leaves people with risk factors and earlier concerns of cognitive deficits with few options to address these concerns and prevent progression of the disease. This is where Thema comes in.”

In Florida, 580,000 people ages 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s Disease, and that number is expected to grow to 720,000 by 2025.

Also in Alzheimer developments, a new bill introduced into the Florida Legislature could impact Floridians facing Alzheimer’s, cancer and other diseases. The bill (SB 964 / HB 885) would require state-regulated health insurance plans to cover comprehensive biomarker testing for diseases like Alzheimer’s. The Florida chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association are part of a national coalition of patient advocates advocating for insurance coverage for comprehensive biomarker testing.

South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at .

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