U.S. Says Prescription Drug Supply Safe For Y2K link

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Patients will have uninterrupted access to medications around the year 2000 date change if they have prescriptions refilled five to seven days before they run out, a White House commission said Monday.

The commission appointed by President Clinton to study the Y2K computer problem said it expected some trouble along the chain of producers, suppliers and pharmacists that bring medicines to consumers.

But the system is prepared to handle regional shortfalls and can get medications to patients within 24 to 48 hours, said John Koskinen, chair of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion.

"We can't guarantee that there won't be glitches," Koskinen said. "But we are willing to say that the system will be able to respond to anything that we think is going to happen."

Refilling prescriptions when patients still have five to seven days' supply on hand is recommended even under normal circumstances, Koskinen noted.

If the public follows that advice, the year 2000 should be no different from any other in terms of prescription drug supplies. The real problem could be hoarding by people who stock months-long supplies of drugs out of fear that distributors' computers will fail to accurately read the date as 2000.

"The greatest risk of this supply drain is not Y2K, it's if people feel uncomfortable with the system," Koskinen said. "But there is not a need to overstock." Another group trying to prevent Y2K problems called the commission's assessment "unjustifiably optimistic" because it did not account for possible trouble outside the health care delivery system.

The Center for Y2K and Society said problems with electric power, transportation and telecommunications systems could upset the pharmaceutical industry's readiness.

The group recommended the government and industry make sure the tens of millions of Americans dependent on medications have a 30-day supply on hand Jan. 1.

"Unless strong action is taken, individual consumers may find that they are unable to obtain their medicines," said the center's Margaret Anderson, who also advised the presidential commission.

Still, the drug industry has weathered other disruptions, including a tornado that destroyed a drug store in Oklahoma and California earthquakes that interrupted transportation, said Del Persinger of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

Manufacturers usually make sure a 90-day supply of finished drugs is available and can transfer stocks from other areas, Persinger said. Some drug makers also plan to increase production at the end of the year, he said.

Great...now it will be the elderly and infirm medication "stockpilers" who cause supply problems.

-- RUOK (RUOK@yesiam.com), June 14, 1999

Answers

A GLITCH here, could cause death.

-- FLAME AWAY (BLehman202@aol.com), June 14, 1999.

The state of Kentucky has a Personal Preparedness website that encourages an "ample supply" of perscription and nonperscription drugs on hand.

-- Linda A. (adahi@muhlon.com), June 14, 1999.

"We can't guarantee that there won't be glitches," Koskinen said. "But we are willing to say that the system will be able to respond to anything that we think is going to happen."

How nice, he's actually "willing to say", we can all sleep better now.

As for "But we are willing to say that the system will be able to respond to anything that we think is going to happen." That means that the system will NOT be able to respond to anything they DON'T think will happen.

and this is where our tax dollars go?

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), June 14, 1999.

Our best friends have twins (8 yrs) and a 7 year old ALL with Cystic Fibrosis. My parents and my in-laws ALL take meds....if Ko-skin-em is wrong, I'll hunt that sucker down with a rope in my hand, looking for a tree. This isn't "the availability of gas" we're talking about here.

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), June 14, 1999.

The sheer wealth of the Rx mfgrs make them an odds on bet to be best compliant by 2M. Distribution means transport & I'd bet drugs will be considered vital cargo by the govt when things get tough. Local pharmacy should be compliant too--that's easy.

Severe transport problems would mean "save the many". Especially difficult and expensive diseases to treat (eg cystic fibrosis) would suffer.

What will most likely stop the flow is money at the consumer level. Most of us depend on insurance and pay a co-pay for Rx's. The little appreciated claims processor companies are in woefull shape. When this link goes down you better have some seriously deep pockets even if the meds are available. Check nhin.com and see if your insurance company's processor has even submitted data. Even most who have aren't close.

Have been recommending squirreling away a weeks worth each month since the first of the year to my patients. Insurance still pays. There's still time.

All bets off if any leg of the "iron triangle" stays down for long.

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), June 14, 1999.

Wish we had more GI doctors carlos!! Thanks for the info.

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), June 14, 1999.

Just a pharmacist.

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), June 14, 1999.

I can just hear Kosky. There were only 7462 glitches but the funeral homes were compliant.

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), June 14, 1999.

"Still, the drug industry has weathered other disruptions, including a tornado that destroyed a drug store in Oklahoma and California earthquakes that interrupted transportation, said Del Persinger of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America"

I hate to break it to this guy, but a destroyed drugstore in Oklahoma, did not even effect the state of Oklahoma, much less the whole country. Geesh, what gall.

-- Dian (bdp@accessunited.com), June 15, 1999.

Why am I not convinced that refilling my prescription when I have only a 5-7 day supply is not necessarily a safe idea? Is it because the condition I take that drug for is life threatening? My life threatening?

Am I to assume that post Y2K will be a "normal circumstance?"

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), June 15, 1999.

I'm dependant on hypertension drugs for life support, and narcotics for pain relief. I do not look forward to getting shrugs from the pharmacist in six months. Bad heart and bad bones.

Not feeling real good about this...

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), June 15, 1999.

Sorry, can't risk it. I'm going to continue stashing away at least three months of crucial meds.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), June 15, 1999.

It is only after reading articles like this that one is empowered to expedite their preparations. Where oh where is the Administration going to attempt to place the BLAME for y2k?

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), June 15, 1999.

Boy, I feel so comforted that I'm going straight to the pharmacy today and turn in the meds that I've stockpiled. NOT

-- newbiebutnodummy (Linda@home.com), June 15, 1999.

George Gingrey (state rep here from Marietta) tried to get a bill through here "allowing" people to exapnd their normal 30 days (of insulin particulary - which is apparently only made in the Netherlands and Venezula) .

His bill passed the house un-opposed. Went to the state senate. A Democratic senator from Augusta (inner city district) refused to allow it out of committee - even for a vote on the floor! - claiming that "if the poor cannot get extra state money to buy 90 days of medicine, the "rich" should be allowed to buy it at all!"

Anyway, the insurance commisioner intervened and allowed an exception for GA doctors to over-subscribe" medicines next year - even without the bill being passed into law.

(By the way, the next day, she was indicted for taking illegal campaign donations, for filtering donated money for personal purposes, and for using her office for personal profit. Shows you her level of judgement and ethics. And her rabid level of hatred and class envy so typical of liberals.)

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), June 15, 1999.

reading that - it was the Democratic senator who was indicted; the insurance commissioner and Republican representative will likely be re-elected by a large majority.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), June 15, 1999.