It seems the problem is that the suppliers' supplier had a problem supplying a component (not the bicarbonate itself, but the vial it comes in, I think) and this caused production to come to a halt while the issue was being sorted out. Presumably this particular component has been certified in some way and replacing it with an alternative requires recertification, though the news articles merely say that the companies could not divulge additional details.
I wonder more about whether such a fragile supply chain is inevitable in a mostly capitalistic society or whether we could do more to ensure stability.
It's the generic drug business. Competition is purely though price. That squeezes margins significantly, even for more capital intensive product like injectables. If you're a manufacturer who has a sudden quality control issue, it often makes more sense to just shut down production than try and fix it and lose a ton of money.
It seems that when it comes to business consolidation, what is good for the goose is not good for the gander (apparently there are 2 suppliers left in the US).
W T F.