Meningitis Outbreak Exposes Need to Stop Drug Shortages

The outbreak of fungal meningitis has exposed more than one dangerous weakness in the U.S. drug supply network. The need for better oversight of large-scale compounding pharmacies might be the most glaring; it was such a facility that produced the moldy steroid injections that have caused, at last count, 23 deaths and 297 illnesses.

Yet the outbreak also calls attention to the growing problem of drug shortages. A shortage in the generic form of the steroid injection may have encouraged health-care providers to buy the drug from state-regulated compounding pharmacies.