re: Is anyone else having trouble getting pain medication?

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yep, percocet is almost impossible to get. govt ration is what they keep telling me.

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It’s only part of the problem. Drugs that fall under the controlled substances label have been rationed for a long time, but the Feds have further clamped down to prevent abuse.

Part of the problem is that the gov’t estimates how much of a certain drug will be needed, and allows for that amount to be manufactured. If demand exceeds their estimates, then shortages occur. Pharmacies can also be limited by the amount they can prescribe. So even if there is supply, pharmacies may not be able to order or dispense certain medications.

If there is a hiccup anywhere in the process, then it has a huge ripple effect. A manufacturer might have a problem with quality, or with one of there suppliers, or ingredients, and has to shut down production for a time. If that happens, another company can’t simply step in and start producing more.

Pharmacy A can’t fill more prescriptions because Pharmacy B across town is out.