Shortage of tretinoin capsules

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists reports a shortage of tretinoin capsules. This drug is used to force excess immature red blood cells caused by acute promyelocytic leukemia to mature and become functional red blood cells. Once someone has been forced into a remission of their cancer with tretinoin, other drugs must be used to prevent recurrence of the disease. Tretinoin is used in the first place when other drugs have not worked or have not worked well or have worked for a time and then stopped working.