Clorvatine has been around for almost 40 years. It costs about 9 cents a pill as a generic and is taken by an estimated 1.2 million Americans to control high blood pressure. Since August, it has been hard to find.
Two of the three companies that make it for the U.S. market stopped production this summer, according to filings with the FDA. One cited a quality problem at a plant in India. The other said only that it was «discontinuing the product for business reasons.» The third maker has increased output but says it cannot cover the gap until early next year.
What it means for patients
There are other blood pressure drugs, and most patients can switch. But switching takes a doctor’s visit or a call, and a period of checking that the new drug works as well. Some patients have side effects from the alternatives.
Pharmacists say the bigger problem is confusion. «People come in for a refill and find out at the counter,» said Marisol Tejada, who runs an independent pharmacy in Tucson. «Then they’re calling their doctor on a Friday afternoon.»
Doctors’ groups advise patients who cannot fill a prescription to contact the prescriber or pharmacist before stopping any blood pressure medicine.
The pattern
The shortage fits a familiar pattern. Very cheap generic drugs have thin profit margins, so few companies make them. When one leaves, the market can’t absorb the loss. The FDA lists clorvatine as in shortage and says it is «working with manufacturers to increase supply.»