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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, March 21, 2012 · 12 Ministry implements inventory assessment process Continued from page 1 tially fatal seizures. The hospice and the pharmacy it relies on were unable to procure the injectable version of the drug due to the ongoing nationwide drug shortage. "We have zero supplies of this particular medication," said Registered Nurse Peggy Dickie, IAH's chief home co-ordinator. Staff at the hospice advised the patient's wife that he should remain in an Oakville hospital to ensure he would have continued access to any drug he might need in his last days. "There is no indication of whether we will have the drug in two days or in two weeks," Dickie said. "We don't want to admit some- one and then have to send them back to hospital so they can receive the appropriate medication. That's just not fair." Anderson said the hospice was only notified of the drug shortage on March 5. Sandoz Canada Inc., which produces generic versions of injectable medications used in surgical and hospital care, slowed production in its Boucherville, Que. facility after the U.S. Federal Drug Administration issued a warning over quality concerns in Nov. 2011. The company has not said when production will be back to normal. Anderson said a deputy minister of health contacted her late Friday -- after the matter was brought to the attention of the office of Health Minister Deb Matthews. Unlike a hospital, IAH, which has six beds, does not have an in-house pharmacy or stockpile of drugs. Like any hospice, a physician prescribes the necessary medications from a community pharmacy for each patient admitted. When a patient dies, any leftover medication must be disposed of. Dr. Helen Pyle, the lead physician at IAH said other critical medications used in end-of-life care -- in addition to phenobarbital -- are in short supply. These include: hydromorphone, a synthetic version of morphine often used in a patient's final days because it has fewer side effects than other painkillers; the sedative midazolam, which is used to relax and ease distress in palliative patients; and haloperidol, used to treat nausea and agitation, common symptoms at the end of life. Pyle said she and other hospice staff must now review each potential patient's list of required medications before deciding on admission. The average length of a patient's stay at the Ian Anderson House is 10 days. According to Dickie, the drug shortage is also affecting care of palliative patients spending their final days at home. In one case, a woman who planned to die at home had to be rushed to a local hospital's emergency room because her caregivers were unable to locate needed doses of the injectable anti-nausea medication haloperidol. Other hospices in the GTA have expressed concerns about supplies of injectable painkillers. A spokesperson for Matthews said the ministry of health has reached out to IAH and will "continue to work with them and the hospice community." She also said "the ministry will make every effort to ensure hospices have what they need to support palliative care clients." On Saturday, the minister's office stated it is implementing an inventory assessment process for the community health services sector, which includes long-term care, home care and hospices in Ontario. SPRING IN FOR A FRESH NEW UP TO A LOOK WARM WITH DIMPLEX FIREPLACES. MODERN FIREPLACE ELECTRIC BARBEQUES ALSO AVAILABLE! "MASONRY & FIREPLACE DESIGN SPECIALISTS" www.cobblestonembers.ca ACROSS FROM RONA LANSING 406 SPEERS RD., OAKVILLE 905-337-2066