I work at a pharmacy that makes intravenous medications and parenteral nutrition for patients that are very sick or cannot ingest food by mouth. Over the past few years, we have had a very difficult time getting certain electrolytes and trace mineral injections to prepare these IV nutrition preparations. TPNs are essential for kids who are born with bowel abnormalities and adults who have had large portions of their digestive tracts removed.
One of the major reasons that there is a shortage of these additives is that only one company in the United States makes them. That company shut down last year due to quality control issues. The government needs to offer incentives to drug companies to produce these generic (and often unprofitable) medications so this will not happen in the future.



