Discussion Pfizer facility in North Carolina damaged by tornado, expect long term shortages of sterile injectable medications for the US

[Semi Lazy Gamer]

Tornado damages Pfizer plant in North Carolina, will "likely lead to long-term shortages" of medicine

A major Pfizer pharmaceutical plant was severely damaged after a deadly tornado ripped through North Carolina on Wednesday.

www.cbsnews.com

The plant produces anesthesia and other drugs as well as nearly 25% of all sterile injectable medications used in U.S. hospitals, Pfizer said on its website. Erin Fox, senior pharmacy director at University of Utah Health, said the damage "will likely lead to long-term shortages while Pfizer works to either move production to other sites or rebuilds."

"We are assessing the situation to determine the impact on production. Our thoughts are with our colleagues, our patients, and the community as we rebuild from this weather incident," Pfizer tweeted on Wednesday.

The National Weather Service said in a tweet that the damage in North Carolina was consistent with an EF3 tornado with wind speeds up to 150 mph.

The Edgecombe County Sheriff's Office, where part of Rocky Mount is located, said on Facebook that they had reports of three people injured in the tornado, and that two of them had life-threatening injuries.