Posted by Kate Murphy on August 17th, 2011

Vials of FluorouracilThis morning the FDA added fluorouracil to its drug shortage list. The American Society of Healthcare Pharmacists (ASHP) has also reported a shortage of fluorouracil (5-FU), a common backbone drug for colorectal cancer chemotherapy.

Two manufacturers have some doses of the drug on intermittent back order and are shipping it as it becomes available.  A third has all dose vials on back order and estimates shipping sometime in the fourth quarter of 2011.

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