On Medicine Shortages

We received an interesting e-mail yesterday that there is a nationwide shortage of a medicine called furosemide, trade name Lasix (no relation to the eye surgery).  Without going to much into detail, Lasix is a mainstay generic/old medication in the treatment of any condition in which a patient has too much fluid and we'd like to get it off of them.  Conditions such as heart failure, kidney failure and liver failure are commonly treated with Lasix.  More acutely, Lasix is a mainstay drug for patients on cardiology or intensive care services.  It just so happens that I am spending this month in the Coronary intensive Care Unit, hereinafter referred to as CCU.  In the CCU, we use Lasix commonly and on nearly every patient.  There are other medications that work similarly or accomplish the same thing, but rarely at such nice dosing intervals or at low cost. 

We received the following information via email:

furosemide 40mg is $0.30

bumetanide 1mg is $0.68

Torsemide 20mg IV is $6.55

Ethacrynic …