EMS in Oregon, Arizona Turn to Expired Drugs Due to Shortages

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"Drug shortages are not a new phenomenon," said Dave Gaugh, senior vice president for regulatory sciences at the Generic Pharmaceutical Association. "What's new is the crisis level they're at today."

Salem fire department paramedics Scott Alt, left, and Jennifer Pratt check over medications in an ambulance in Salem, Ore., Tuesday, July 10, 2012. When faced with medication shortages, some paramedic outfits are forced to dig into their stash of expired medications to load up trucks and treat critical patients with outdated prescriptions. It’s a practice on the rise as first responders react to a shortage of the lifesaving drugs they use every day, from painkillers to heart medicines, despite the risk that they won’t work as intended in life-or-death situations. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

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