Pharmaceutical companies are also hoping the stockpiling itself discourages hoarding. Glaxo Wellcome boosted inventories of its drugs by roughly 15 percent. Bristol-Myers Squibb bought extra raw materials, identified alternative suppliers and kept stocks of partially completed drugs so it can increase production if needed. Critical care products, such as those for cancer and AIDS, got special consideration. At the same time, the pharmaceutical industry is trying to discourage overbuying, recommending that patients get regular refills five to seven days before their medication runs out, just as they normally should.
Manufacturers believe they can get drugs to the patient within that amount of time.
William K. Hubbard, senior associate commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration, said the agency audited manufacturers of the 200 best-selling drugs, as well as companies that are the sole supplier of a particular treatment. He said he is confident manufacturers will be ready and found no evidence so far that consumers are stocking up. Insurance companies and doctors generally limit how much medication a patient may get at a time. Any significant stockpiling would probably have to occur over many months. For the most part, the industry keeps 90 days' worth of drugs on hand, so drugs for Jan. 1 have already been manufactured.