Prescription drugs (like any retail product) can occasionally suffer from supply problems from a variety of sources. The pharmacy supply chain has many steps in it which can fail, and can cause delays in sourcing medications. Most medications are manufactured overseas, and even domestically produced medications usually require ingredients from international sources. This creates a delay in quickly sourcing medications if current stocks at the manufacturer, warehouse, commercial warehouse or pharmacy. A factor in this is the expiry dates that medications carry which guarantees safety and efficacy of the product; if a warehouse stores too much medication for the demand, the stock will expire and lose them money.
Usually, there will be an alternative brand which the pharmacy can supply on your original prescription, but occasionally there will be no alternative which will require patients to get a different script from their doctor. The pharmacists at UFS are trained to identify alternative medications for prescribers to use in place of out of stock drugs and are always available for consultation either in person or by phone by patients or prescribers, where we can advise on stock availability and similar options for therapy.