FDA confirms EpiPen shortage

Allergy sufferers might have difficulties buying the life-saving EpiPens they often carry in case of a serious reaction. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration added the injectable medication to its list of drugs in short supply this week. Problems with the supply chain have caused manufacturing delays, the FDA said. Pfizer, which makes the automatic injectors that carry the drug, had to change some of its processes after problems last year with some EpiPens not working correctly, Reuters reported, and 400 patients in 45 states have since had problems filling their prescriptions. The FDA did not say how long the shortage is expected to last and told patients to contact the drugmaker Mylan with concerns. The government ordered Mylan to pay $465 million in a settlement last year for overcharging for EpiPens for a decade.