We’re all so stressed that the US is running low on popular anxiety meds, FDA says
A commonly prescribed antidepressant and anxiety medication is in limited supply, especially some of the higher dosed pills, officials say.
The reason for the surge? Disruptions in supply chains, but also the growing number of prescriptions for the drug likely due to stresses related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Prescriptions for sertraline hydrochloride tablets — better known as Zoloft — have soared, climbing to 4.9 million in March, the most the U.S. has ever seen, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration added Zoloft to its list of drug shortages Friday, saying the firms that produce the drugs are “unable to obtain the [active pharmaceutical ingredient]” because of “impacts caused by COVID-19.”
“People are really afraid,” Oren Frank, co-founder and CEO of Talkspace, an online and mobile therapy company, told The Washington Post. “What’s shocking to me is how little leaders are talking about this. There are no White House briefings about it. There is no plan.”
Zoloft is used to treat panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression and social anxiety disorder, according to WebMD. The drug can improve sleep, energy and appetite, but it can also cause nausea, tremors and agitation.
It works by increasing serotonin — a “happy hormone” connected to mood — to improve symptoms of depression and anxiety, Healthline says, which many people are struggling with because of worries about their health, employment status and the well-being of their friends and family.
More than half of Americans (61%) say they are experiencing high levels of stress because of the pandemic, and 45% say they feel down, depressed or hopeless, according to a survey of 4,149 adults from all 50 states and Washington D.C. conducted by Chapman University in California.
Healthcare workers are also feeling heavy tolls from caring for and getting infected by coronavirus patients. Two New York professionals — one emergency room doctor and another emergency medical technician — died by suicide in April, media outlets reported.
Zoloft tablets of 25mg are currently available, but those of 50mg and 100mg are labeled as “limited stock/out of stock,” the FDA’s list says.
The agency says stocks “cannot support monthly supply” and will remain that way for at least two months.
The FDA has also relaxed regulations on food labeling and packaging requirements several times due to disruptions in international supply chains, allowing ingredient swaps without label changes.
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 5:50 PM with the headline "We’re all so stressed that the US is running low on popular anxiety meds, FDA says."
