Government crackdown on opioids has unintended consequences at hospitals

The government crackdown on opioids might be having an unintended consequence. 

Hospitals are now having issues supplying drugs like fentanyl and dilaudid, used during surgeries and the ER. Dr. Chris Eberlein (right), at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, says their pharmacy saw the shortage coming.

“It’s rather ironic that now, hospitals are trying to get these drugs when, illegally we’re getting flooded with them,” Eberlein said. “So it’s kind of frustarting — just another twist in this whole opiod problem that we’re dealing with.”

Eberlein said the shortage is for a few reasons, including the federal government’s restriction on the amount of a substance drug companies can make.

Those restrictions are creating more work for hospitals.

“Strong injectable narcotics — your morphine, your fentanyl — we don’t have good substitutes for,” Eberlein said.

Eberlein did say Gundersen’s pharmacy saw the shortage coming ahead of time and has been able to prepare.