Drug Shortages in the United States

 

By Rina Shah, U.S. Office of Personnel Management on National Healthcare Operations,
Washington, DC¹

Introduction
According to the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (“ASHP”), there are currently about 200 drug shortages, ranging from the Acetazolamide Injection to the Zoster Vaccine Live.² A recent study claimed that these numerous drug shortages are not as bad as they seem because they are limited to a few disease areas and generic injectables.³ Despite the purportedly limited scope, drugs that are vital to treating major diseases such as childhood leukemia and breast cancer are part of the current shortages.⁴ Due to concerns about delays in treatment, increased morbidity and mortality, and higher healthcare costs,⁵ manufacturers and the government have been attempting to remedy the issue. As government legislation is still pending and other responses are fairly recent, there has not been any reliable information to indicate whether these strategies are working.
Causes of Drug Shortages
The source of drug shortages varies from drug to drug, but the primary reasons are manufacturing problems combined with increased demand.⁶ For example, a shortage of the dopamine injection was reported by ASPH on November 17, 2011.⁷ The reasons for the shortage were listed by one manufacturer as a manufacturing delay and by another as increased demand.⁸ Another drug that is currently experiencing a shortage, the tobramycin injection, is reportedly in short supply because of manufacturing delays.⁹

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