I have received several hundred e-mails about this. A few have asked if there is an independent lab that can verify the ingredients of sinemet purchased without prescription on the black market, or from the mail-order pharmacies that you find by googling sinemet shortage. One group of 10 Parkies wants to order a 6 month supply. In some countries, pills-by-post are illegal; in other countries, they are accepted. And there is extreme concern about the ingredients of no-name drugs.
I have no answer, except be ultra careful.
This illustrates the panic that some people are going through; some countries will receive no sinemet whatsoever for at least a year, starting next week. Substitute drugs should take care of most Parkies, but some fear changing medication; some fear having no drugs at all. Many are having difficulty getting an appointment with a doctor, as so many Parkies are calling for appointments, and any change of medication requires repeat visits to the doctor. The system is broken.
From the various health departments around the world, the silence is deafening.
I have received suggestions on impressive letterhead that all of this is none of my business, so someone else will have to speak if they are interested. I will report in if I hear news from additional countries, which is unlikely, as most PD orgs seem to be not at all perturbed - or even aware - that something strange is happening.
It's a problem that should be handed over to Crown Prosecutors.
And some day, the $3 billion a year we spend on PD drugs (world-wide) should give Parkies enormous purchasing power to dictate the market, as would be the case in any other industry. But I'm not holding my breath waiting for that. Finally, there should be scientific scrutiny of what happens to PWP and their health, around the world, as a result of this unique event. Check out the placebo effect and so on.
Best of luck to you all.