One expert concerned over drug shortages record high

Editor's Note

Erin Fox, senior pharmacy director at University of Utah Health who has been monitoring drug shortages for over 20 years, spoke to AP News in June of her concerns. Currently, the situation is worse than ever, with total active shortages hitting an all-time high of 323 (with 48 new shortages recorded) in the first quarter of 2024, according to University of Utah Drug Information Service data, published by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. This marks an 86% increase from the 10-year low of 174 shortages recorded in 2017.

Fox identified several root causes for the ongoing shortages. The US has relatively few drug manufacturers, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspections were halted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that inspections have resumed, they are uncovering issues that can take 6 to 18 months to resolve. Additionally, other companies lack the capacity to quickly ramp up production to fill the gaps. “It’s not the FDA’s fault,” Fox told the Associated Press, noting that the simultaneous inspections can be disruptive. “We want them to find those quality deficits.”

The drugs most frequently affected by shortages are generic, injectable hospital drugs, and older medications, which are typically low-cost. For instance, last year’s chemotherapy shortages were partly due to quality problems found at a large factory in India, which produced a significant portion of the US supply. Despite improvements, the factory remains nonoperational, and other companies have struggled to compensate for the shortfall.

Earlier OR Manager coverage of this same data noted the "drugs in shortest supply reportedly include chemotherapy medication, central nervous system stimulants, antimicrobials, hormone agents, and intravenous fluids," and that "at least half a million patients" are affected on average.

Fox advised patients not to panic if they encounter a drug shortage. Alternatives like taking a capsule instead of a pill or calling insurance companies to cover brand-name drugs instead of generics might be necessary. While it can be frustrating, patients usually can still get their treatments.

There is some positive news. Congress held four hearings on drug shortages last year, showing significant interest in addressing the issue. Fox believes this increased attention might lead to substantial policy changes and Congressional action to tackle the problem effectively. “I’ve been leading our efforts to provide data on drug shortages since 2001. This is truly the most interest I’ve ever seen,” she said.