Texas faces looming shortage of execution drug pentobarbital

[Peikko 1,575]

Texas, the state with the highest execution rate in the US, is running out of a sedative used in its three-drug cocktail for lethal injections for the second time in 13 months, a state official said on Thursday.

A spokesman for the Texas department of criminal justice, Jason Clark, confirmed that the state's supply of pentobarbital, which has been used in the execution of condemned killers in the state since July last year, will reach its expiry date in September.

Texas switched to pentobarbital, a barbiturate that is the drug of choice for physician-assisted suicide in Europe, when supplies of sodium thiopental, previously used by the state in its three-drug execution mix, were cut off.

The Illinois-based pharmaceutical company Hospira said in 2011 it would stop making thiopental after the government of Italy, where it planned to move production of the drug, raised objections, citing its use in executions.

Richard Dieter, who heads the Death Penalty Information Center, said Texas and other states that were forced to switch from thiopental are now facing a problem with the availability of pentobarbital, which is often used to put down animals.

Texas has executed 11 inmates so far in 2013 – including one on Wednesday night – while 10 executions have been carried out elsewhere in the US. Officials said there were five more Texas executions scheduled this year, with the next one set for 19 September.

Clark said Texas was confident it would be able to continue executions but did not say whether September's execution might have to be delayed.

"Alternate sources of pentobarbital are possible, or an alternate drug," he said.

Dieter said pentobarbital had been used for all executions carried out in the US in the past 13 months. He said some states were in the process of obtaining the necessary legal approval to switch to other sedatives.

One option is the surgical anaesthetic propofol, which was blamed for the 2009 death of Michael Jackson, and which has been used in executions by the state of Missouri.

But this drug raises a similar problem. The British-based company that markets it, AstraZeneca, said that after the Missouri execution it would not allow any of its products to be exported for use in capital punishment.

States might consider turning to so-called compounding pharmacies, small laboratories that can remix existing narcotics to fill specific needs, generally on the order of a doctor, Dieter said. But compounding pharmacies might also be reluctant to co-operate on moral grounds.

"They have their own ethics," he said. "I'm not sure that will be a fruitful way to go."

Texas has executed 503 prisoners – more than any other state – since a 1976 US supreme court ruling affirming capital punishment.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/02/texas-shortage-execution-drug-pentobarbital

[Karee 4,191]

For people that are supposed to be a bunch of bible thumpers, they sure like killing folks here.

[Darnell 8,479]

I'm sure a new cocktail can be devised and quickly.

[Ban Hammer 13,843]

I'm sure a new cocktail can be devised and quickly.

9mm works.

[lostinblue 1,989]

There is a lot of rope in Texas...Hang them high and on TV...

[GandD 5,966]

Yeah, shoot 'em, hang 'em. An Eye for an eye, F*** 'EM! Kill 'em all I say. Bunch o criminals! Why not crucify them? Remember when the Roman's or nearly any other empire did public executions and it dried up all crime? Remember that? Yeah me neither.

Edited August 2, 2013 by GandD

[lostinblue 1,989]

Yeah, shoot 'em, hang 'em. An Eye for an eye, F*** 'EM! Kill 'em all I say. Bunch o criminals! Why not crucify them? Remember when the Roman's or nearly any other empire did public executions and it dried up all crime? Remember that? Yeah me neither.

[GandD 5,966]

Two different countries, neither of which are the US. What's your point? It's wrong? I agree.

[Karee 4,191]

Two different countries, neither of which are the US. What's your point? It's wrong? I agree.

It reminds of that map showing Northern Minnesota as a place with ultra high crime rates because they voted Democrat in the last election.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Blame the FDA for not allowing unsafe execution drugs into the US. I posted the story somewhere.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/443432-fda-cant-allow-execution-drug-to-be-imported/

[SMOKE 1,426]

9mm works.

air bubbles are free

[Darnell 8,479]

There ya go. Air Bubbles in the IV, or even a litre of air over 4 minutes.

[duraaraa 203]

For people that are supposed to be a bunch of bible thumpers, they sure like killing folks here.

Unless we're talking about different bibles, the bible has a lot of text encouraging killing.

[X Factor 1,112]

Guillotine is out of the question