They aren't supposed to run out - they might lose customers

This has been a growing problem in the past few years that is finally receiving some news. At one point late in 2010 there were more than 150 prescription drugs in short supply in the US. This is not surprising. They are a manufactured item just like a lot of other things. Reasons for this were given as:

- source materials no longer available
- quality issues closed manufacturing plants
- no longer profitable to manufacture

Drug companies as we are aware are businesses looking for profits (well duh!). They are just like any other company. The problem goes back to the long development and approval processes to get new drugs to market - or so they claim.

Now the president is stepping in sign an executive order to: "to help reduce a growing number of prescription drug shortages while protecting patients from possible pharmaceutical industry price gouging."

I wish people could play nice in about this and keep their life saving medications available at all times. To all those people who are wishing for smaller government, can some one please explain why the pharmaceutical industry are all about profits and not about the patients who are actually their customers?

Poor customer service - i.e., shortages - will drive away customers. A doctor isn't going to prescribe something that has availability problems. If I am on a life saving medication and they run out, I may switch or I may die. Either way they lose me a s a customer. Hmmm....so maybe its in the manufacturer's best interests not to have shortages.