Shortage of injectable levothyroxine

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists reports a shortage of injectable levothyroxine in the form of the sodium salt. This drug shortage is important to anyone who can't take the tablet forms of the drug. Adults can tolerate a shortage of this thyroid hormone, if it isn't long-term. Infants and children with insufficient or absent thyroid function must have this hormone to thrive and maintain the proper rate of growth and development. APP Pharmaceuticals is the only approved US supplier, and they were originally supplying an unapproved version which was legal because it was "grandfathered" under the laws governing the FDA. Since about 2006, the FDA has prioritized approvals of these older drugs based on their assessment of the risk involved with using the drugs and on any complaints made about them. The new presentations of levothyroxine sodium for injection were approved in July 2011, and this shortage seems to be a short-term problem with distribution.