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Drug shortage forcing paramedics to use expired meds

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    Is taking expired drugs dangerous? Dr. Marc Siegel weighs in

  • Duration 3:36
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Hi there are -- it was a very serious report now because there are new reports on be real life.

Threatening consequences of this nationwide drug shortage some emergency responders admit.

-- they are relying on expired medications to treat patients when they can't find the drugs that they need.

Doctor Mark Siegel as a member of our Fox News each team doctor -- so there's -- a report in the Associated Press that says paramedics.

Are using expired drugs now we as patients are always told to throw out.

Our expired drugs is there a danger in what -- -- -- and I'm really glad we're putting a spotlight on this today because frankly we've been talking about chemotherapy being short.

And we haven't focused enough about emergency drugs being short and emergency rooms.

This is a crisis in Oregon it's also -- problem and you talked throughout our country we have five times more drug shortages -- we had a simple five years ago.

To ask -- direct question I don't think it's so much an issue of safety it's an issue of how effective the drugs are.

For the first year or so after a drug expired I don't think there's really any risk to the patient I think the question -- -- a patient comes in with an allergic reaction.

At a full access or their heart stops beating you wanna give them -- and effort -- very very powerful drug.

I think the question is is it going to war after it expires and there's no guarantee that it will the father out from the expiration date.

The less likely that it'll still work.

Now about a single why are we having this drug shortage -- -- heaven this drug church for several reasons first of all going more and more -- generic drugs which don't make the drug companies -- profit.

Secondly they're involved the drug companies -- with the ensuring sterility which is a very very expensive process and sometimes bog them down and then distributors don't get the drugs they need.

The third problem and they found problems every time they find the contaminant in the drug as you might imagine -- -- -- it sets them back a long way then we take off the top.

For the war theater and I expect.

That that's -- have now that we're you know basically getting out of the wars Iraq had a lot of the drugs in stockpiles over there which you understand.

Some of these life saving drugs though.

You know if -- it it's a shame that they would end up stockpiled rather than being used in an emergency room.

In some cases Alison they're -- duplicates and I'm happy about that you know there's a lot of talk about pain medications well.

If you don't have fentanyl you can use morphine if you don't have -- you can use purpose that.

There's choices there but for some drugs like the heart medication there may -- only one that works.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 90% of our raw materials come from overseas I think the FDA has to get more involved.

And the manufactures with making the raw materials here for making sure they have the right amount of supply on hand and by the way.

For ensuring a profit because the drug companies should should make a profit on this but.

With the war winding down I think -- see less of a problem on that and so that's the real for a major issues here that are not resolved but the wars winding down definitely gonna help.

Okay and very very quickly for -- -- ad are take away at home if we have an expired bottle of Advil we can still use it for another year you think.

Look I don't want the doctors getting in trouble that are doing this at all I'm worried about that I am not telling people at home to use medications that are expired but I am telling them that if you did it by accident.

It's probably not gonna harm you in -- -- but I don't think -- the effectiveness is the same.

So I don't think people should use expired drugs at home if you did and it was 56 months out of date it's probably not gonna hurt you -- got a doctor Siegel thanks so much at the.

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