Continued nationwide drug shortages and supply chain disruptions have prompted South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to call on the state department of health to make an expansion of the state's medical cache, according to a July 12 news release.
Ms. Noem said the department of health will begin to expand its emergency supply of pharmaceuticals in five cities throughout the state: Aberdeen, Hot Springs, Mobridge, Pierre and Yankton.
The state has a supply of emergency antibiotics in its cache, but will begin to add albuterol, epinephrine, insulin, prednisone and pediatric amoxicillin in case of extended shortages or public health emergencies, according to the release.
"When we started hearing from pharmacies across the state, we immediately began notifying the governor and working towards a solution," Melissa Magstadt, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Health said in a statement. "I am so appreciative to work for a governor who takes notice of challenges like this and then leads towards a solution."
The decision to expand the state's stockpile came out of an order signed by the governor in May, which mandated that the department of health investigate and report on possible mitigations to the ongoing crisis.