• OPINION
  • November 11, 2012, 5:48 p.m. ET

Not Enough Cancer Drugs, Too Many Price Controls

There were more than 250 generic drug shortages in 2011 compared with 58 in 2004, thanks largely to the Medicare Modernization Act.

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BY BILL CASSIDY AND PATRICK W. COBB

Cancer patients face daunting challenges, including side effects of treatment, impact on family life and work disruptions. They now face another problem: shortages of vital drugs.

Imagine an oncologist talking to his patient: Everything is going well with your treatment, he says, but one of the drugs you've been receiving is unavailable. There's a substitute—sort of. Your Medicare copayment for the drug we've been using is $9. Now it will cost you $520 each time the substitute is given.

Unfortunately, while this is an actual case, at least there was a substitute drug. In many other cases, there are only ...

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