Some chemotherapy drugs scarce here, nationwide

[Star Tribune, December 03, 2010] Minnesota hospitals and clinics are reporting episodic shortages of chemotherapy drugs. While drug shortages happen from time to time, the chemo shortfall is worrisome because it could disrupt strict treatment regimens that give cancer patients the best odds of survival.

"It's hard to just flip [cancer patients] onto something else," said Lisa Gersema, pharmacy director at United Hospital in St. Paul. "You may not be able to do that with them, whereas we do have other ways of providing sedation and things like that" to patients. Read the full story at startribune.com. See a similar Minnesota Public Radio story at mpr.org and listen to the report below.