Heart attack victims heading to Peconic Bay Medial Center, Eastern Long Island Hospital or Stony Brook University Hospital do not have to worry that their hospital of choice won’t be able to inject them with nitroglycerin, a drug commonly used in emergency rooms to treat heart conditions. There is plenty of it, despite shortage reports.
On Wednesday morning, Eileen Solomon, spokeswoman for Eastern Long Island Hospital, in Greenport, assured the community that the hospital’s emergency room has more than enough of the drug on hand.
“There is no shortage whatsoever,” she said of the drug, which is used in the hospital to treat more than 30-50 heart attack patients each year.
Riverhead’s Peconic Bay Medical Center’s media relation’s office echoed ELIH, stating that the hospital also doesn’t have a problem when it comes to a shortage of nitroglycerin and has recently been contacted by area lawmakers to ensure the hospital has ample supply on hand.
Stony Brook University Hospital also reports that it has an ample supply of nitroglycerin though it has experienced a reduction in supply.
“While the hospital has experienced some reduction in the supply of nitroglycerin from distributors, the supply has remained sufficient for patient care needs in all departments of the hospital,” said Gregory Filliano, spokesman for Stony Brook University Hospital.
While area hospitals will be able to administer the drug in emergency heart situations, some hospitals, according to a New York Times report are scrambling for the drug.
On Tuesday, the Times reported that the country’s only manufacturer of nitroglycerin, Baxter International, “recently told hospitals that it was sharply cutting shipments of the drug,” forcing many hospitals to ration the drug.
The reason for low supply, according to the Federal Food and Drug Administration, is an increased demand for the drug, shortage of raw material, and a lack of manufacturing by other companies.
According to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Hospira, Inc. stopped manufacturing Nitroglycerin due to manufacturing issues, as did a third supplier, American Regent.
Baxter, however, told the Times it is looking to ramp-up production and will start meeting the needs of hospitals in the next few months.
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