Drug shortages has reached critical levels

The number of new drug shortages in 2010 almost tripled to 211 since 2005 when there were 74, according to a report from Premier, a Charlotte, N.C.-based health care performance improvement alliance of more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals.

With more than 240 drugs in short supply or completely unavailable last year, more than 400 generic equivalents were ordered as replacements, but shipments were often delayed for more than five days, the report said.

Many of those drugs remain unavailable or in short supply.................