via YAHOO:
A nationwide shortage of the asthma medication albuterol has been ongoing since last fall and experts fear it’s only expected to get worse.
Albuterol can be taken in several forms but it’s the aerosolized solution used in a nebulizer in hospital and in homes that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration put on its drug shortage list in late October. This shortage poses the greatest challenge for hospital settings where it is used most commonly but can be a problem for those that use this form of the drug at home.
Although it’s not clear what prompted the initial constrained supply, the FDA has been tracking the shortage.
Generic drug manufacturer Akorn Pharmaceuticals filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy last month, according to documents viewed by ABC News, and reportedly closed its U.S. facilities, knocking out one maker of albuterol.