First of all, BCG is obtained by the doctor's office, and not via Express Scripts or any outside pharmacy. There are other BCG preparations for other uses which is probably what Express Scripts listed. For bladder cancer it is administered via a very small catheter, much much smaller than any that is used for cystoscopy, for instance. It takes just a few minutes. You go in, they provide the BCG. It doesn't come from somewhere else with your name on it.
There is currently a shortage of BCG and this has been a recurring problem. There is only one supplier (a subsidiary of Merck) and since BCG is a "biological" preparation, made from bacteria, sometimes the bacteria do not cooperate and they need to start all over. This is similar to problems that are seen with vaccines....for example, currently vaccine production cannot keep up with the demand for the new shingles vaccine.
Sara Anne
