Some forms of the commonly used antidepressant Zoloft, as well as its generic version sertraline, are currently in short supply, according to information posted by the FDA last week. The shortages point to both an increase in mental health difficulties among adults and logistical problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
NBC News says that Pfizer, which makes Zoloft, has the capacity to keep up with current prescriptions but cannot manage the increasing number. Other companies that make sertraline say that the complications of the pandemic coupled with growing demand has made them unable to obtain enough of the drug’s active ingredient. These supply problems come as more and more Americans report feeling psychological distress.
According to the company Express Scripts, the number of prescriptions filled per week for treating anxiety, depression and insomnia increased 21 percent between mid-February and mid-March, or the period of time when the pandemic began to massively disrupt day-to-day life and the economy. Additionally, an April 2020 survey published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the percentage of U.S. adults who are feeling anxious, sad, depressed or uncertain has more than tripled in the past two years.
“I haven’t talked to a single patient who isn’t anxious,” Dr. Philip Muskin, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, told NBC
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. “It’s not surprising we’re seeing shortages. I think that’s gonna continue for a while.”