The problem is that drug production is centrally planned. Manufacturers must coordinate with the FDA for everything - when they are going to start production, h

The problem is that drug production is centrally planned. Manufacturers must coordinate with the FDA for everything - when they are going to start production, how much they are going to produce, exactly how they will produce it, and so forth. This is a process that takes a significant amount of time. Thus, when there is a "shortage", a manufacturer can't simply increase the production run. Nor can others step in and also start producing in the near term. So people die. All shortages are, by definition, caused by the government.