Report: More than 1/5 of Kansans face medical shortages

KANSAS (KSNT) - A report from USA Today found more than 62 million Americans face prescription medication shortages. In Kansas, nearly over 1/5 of residents face medical shortages.

According to the report, Americans are struggling to find over-the-counter (OTC) medicine and medical equipment. Over 14% of respondents reported being affected by prescription medication shortages. OTC medication isn't the only type of medication affected, 4.9% of respondents reported having trouble getting OTC drugs and 2.6% reported lack of medical equipment.

Kansas was ninth in the nation for citizens facing medical shortages with 21.5% of respondents facing issues. The report found that 16.7% of Kansans faced prescription medication shortages, 6% faced OTC medication shortages and 2.1% faced medical equipment shortages.

The report also looked into how each state is dealing with shortages. In Kansas, 49% of people reported that they were simply delaying or stopping the use of prescription drugs. Across the nation, 24% of Americans have resorted to rationing medications.

According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the problem comes from manufacturing quality issues, raw material shortages, medication discontinuation and production delays. The FDA keeps a list of drugs that have been discontinued or are facing shortages, click here to see the list.

USA Today gave some recommendations to deal with the medication shortage:

• Go to a different pharmacy.
• Ask your pharmacist for different dosages.
• Ask about different brands.
• Rethink your insurance.

USA Today used the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey to determine the number of people affected by the shortages.

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