National drug shortage triggers some heart testing delays in Alberta, doctors say
CBC
A countrywide shortage of drug used for heart imaging is sparking testing delays for some Alberta cardiology patients.
Dipyridamole, a medication administered intravenously during heart imaging procedures for people who can't do traditional stress tests on a treadmill, is now in short supply.
The drug dilates blood vessels, replacing the effect of exercise, during myocardial perfusion scans, which show how well blood is flowing through the heart muscle.
Health Canada declared a Tier 3 shortage of dipyridamole injections in June, meaning it has "the greatest potential impact on Canada's drug supply and health-care system."
"I have no dose for anyone right now," said Dr. Anmol Kapoor, a cardiologist at Advanced Cardiology Consultants and Diagnostics in Calgary.
He ran out of out of dipyridamole last week and is now postponing the tests, which can show if a patient is developing critical heart blockages.
"It's very important. This is a life-saving test and it's very frustrating that we can't access the medication."
Kapoor's team has been trying to source the drug, as well as a more expensive alternative, with no luck.
This is the latest hit to the availability of heart medication in the country. Nitroglycerin has been in short supply for months.
Dr. Steve Tilley first heard about the dipyridamole shortage in mid-June. Now his Red Deer clinic is out, too.
"A lot of patients are kind of in limbo," he said.
"We tell them, unfortunately, that there are symptoms that could very well be related to blockages in the arteries in the heart. But we, unfortunately, do not have any way to get them that information until the supply … improves."
Tilley, who is the section president for cardiology with the Alberta Medical Association, said he's hearing from colleagues around the province with similar problems.
According to Tilley, the majority of these scans (he estimates 80 to 90 per cent) are done privately in Alberta, through community-based clinics.
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