AP exam finds execution-drug shortage widespread in US

Most of the 35 states with capital punishment have run out of a key lethal injection drug or will soon, according to an Associated Press review.

And in many places, switching to another drug could prove a difficult, drawn-out process, fraught with legal challenges from death row that could put executions on hold.

The drug, an anesthetic called sodium thiopental, has become so scarce over the past year that a few states have had to postpone executions. Those delays could become widespread across the country in the coming months because of a decision last week by the sole U.S. manufacturer to stop producing it.

States have begun casting about for new suppliers or substitute drugs.

"We're wearing out our options," Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps said.

Switching to another drug will take more than the stroke of a pen in most places: Several states have lengthy regulatory and review processes.

Moreover, any change in the drug used — or the supplier — could lead to lawsuits from inmates demanding proof that the substance will not cause suffering in violation of the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Some inmates have already raised such arguments.