Drug Shortages: both T2k and OT

[mikeo80]

This is something I do not remember anyone discussing.

Right now, you can not purchase the anti-biotic Tetracycline. There are several versions of WHY this is....

1) Recall by manufactorer
2) Lack of raw materials
3) Cost of drug vs income

This is not the only drug currently unavailable.

So this leads to my questions:

OT:

1) What, if anything, have you done to prepare for catastrophe as far as prescription drugs you or a loved one needs? My wife is an insulin using Type II diabetic. There are oral medications that can help, and yes, I have about a 60 day supply on hand if things go BANG. She also has many strange and interesting allergies. Tetracycline is one of the very few anti biotics she can use.

2) What, if anything, have YOU heard about these shortages and the whys and wherefores?

GAME:

1) Have you played the shortage of drugs in your games?

2) What was the result?

My $0.02

Mike

[Rainbow Six]

Game

I've "borrowed" an idea from an episode of the TV series Survivor about a paranoid schizophrenic called John who has run out of his meds; he now thinks he has a direct line to higher authority and has formed his own cult. He'll fit into my ASGUK somewhere (not sure where yet!)

[mikeo80]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

Game

I've "borrowed" an idea from an episode of the TV series Survivor about a paranoid schizophrenic called John who has run out of his meds; he now thinks he has a direct line to higher authority and has formed his own cult. He'll fit into my ASGUK somewhere (not sure where yet!)

"ASGUK" ?

My 0.02$

Mike

[B.T.]

Alternative Survival Guide to the U.K.?

Just a guess, I don't know for sure, but ...

[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by B.T.

Alternative Survival Guide to the U.K.?

Just a guess, I don't know for sure, but ...

Almost...

Alternative Survivor's Guide to the UK.

It's just easier to type...

[Medic]

As a medical professional, certain brands of drugs going out of circulation every once in a while is nothing new to me. It happens all the time and we usually just replace them with something similar(ish) that does the same thing. Luckily there is a redundancy with most drugs due to the patents expiring and thus, multiple manufacturers getting in to manufacturing them.

As for drugs, my wife and I are both nurses and we do have a rather decent pharmacy of our own stashed away. Earlier this year, we both got the stomach bug and my wife was sick with it for nearly a week. She being tiny, a week of vomiting and diarrhea can really dehydrate you and I could clearly see, this was the case so I did what I would have done at work to a patient and set in an I.V., administered 500ml of saline. It worked a small miracle and she felt much better afterwards. Of course, if we had gone by the book, I should have driven her to the clinic for blood tests and so on, but...

My online campaign a year ago didn't get far enough to actually get the players in to the situation, they needed something like that - I do have several ideas and I'm working on the expanded ruleset for medical problems for the Twilight: 2013. Once it is complete, a little scratch in the wrong place at the wrong time might prove troublesome, not to mention people getting cardiac problems and such...

[JHart]

A question for you Medic. Is there anyway to tell the difference from penicillin from water/saline? As an example, say a PCs need some penicillin to try and save a character, so they go to someone who says the have some available. Being ever suspicious the PCs want to be sure of what they are getting and want to test it. Is there anyway to tell?

[Tombot]

The usual result is pain for everyone injured.
I slipped in a episode with a GI suffering from a foul tooth. Just for the players being reminded of other, rampant medical problems of the heroic future of 2000...

Farmers growing diverse herbs. But they can afford mercs to guard the fields, somehow..

A lot of alcoholism, cause loads of people just want to forget what they saw the last five years..

Hardended and scarred ex-civilians with butcher-qualitys ("Must get that rottin´leg off!") and blood-spilled medical-books in flickering candle-light.

[TrailerParkJawa]

I personally dont rely on any sort of medications other than over the counter stuff like Claritin during allergy season. I have purchased a huge bottle of Ibuprofin, partially for emergency supplies but also cause at the time I had Flex Spending money to get rid off.

Im aware of drug shortages in Greece and other places being hit hard by the global debt crisis but otherwise dont know whats happening in the USA

Ive tried to do some research on antibiotic productino for T2k scenarios. And from what I can gather its not nor can be a cottage industry. Antibiotics a a product of a very industrialized economy with access to chemicals.