The Drug Shortage Crisis
Every day in the US there are patients fighting for their lives, doctors trying to save them, and no way to find life-saving medicines because of drug shortages. The drug shortage crisis in the United States is diverse in causality and complex in responsibility.
According to the FDA, drug shortages are among the greatest challenges health care providers and patients face. Angels for Change believes fixing the national drug shortage crisis will require multi-stakeholder collaboration, patient-centric design, and rebuilding the supply chain to ensure patient access for all.
Finding the Cause
“When you look at the drugs that are overwhelmingly in short supply, they are not your blockbuster drugs. They are not the drugs that pharmaceutical companies generate huge profits from.”
— Dr. Yoram Unguru
Root Causes
Price: Lower-priced drugs have a higher likelihood of being in shortage.
Consolidation: Drugs with greater market and/or geographic concentration are more susceptible to shortages.
Complexity: Drugs with higher manufacturing complexity are more vulnerable to supply disruptions.
Quality: Quality failures increase supply chain vulnerability. A medicine with a history of quality issues is more likely to be in shortage.
ACCESS TO DRUGS
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists defines a drug shortage as “a supply issue that affects how the pharmacy prepares or dispenses a drug product or influences patient care when prescribers must use an alternative agent.”
The ASHSP serves the medical community to share information about shortages. In 2023, 320 drugs were classified as short on their drug shortage list.
Sharing the Impact
“We know how to treat cancer, but shortages force impossible choices.
We have drugs that are lifesaving & shortages that are life-threatening.”
— Dr. Jason Westin, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
DRUG SHORTAGE IMPACTS
Across America, hospital pharmacists and purchasing directors work through shortages daily. 80%+ of executives report drug shortages negatively affect the finances of their hospitals/ health system. 85%+ of Pharmacists and Oncologists report drug shortages result in higher costs for patients.
Most surveyed physicians (80% of Pediatric Oncologists and 67% of Adult Oncologists) report drug shortages have directly resulted in patient harm.
8 OUT OF 10 DRUGS
used in treating the most common childhood cancers have been temporarily unavailable in the past ten years.
Pediatric cancer medicines are 90% more likely to go short and remain 30% longer in shortage. The list of physician specialities that are affected by drug shortages include oncology, pediatrics, psychiatry, neurology, cardiology, gastroenterology, anesthesiology, and more.
Despite the broad impact, before A4C was formed centralized stewardship of supply was not developed.
““Physicians should have the tools they need readily available to save our lives. And we deserve those tools to have our lives saved.” ”
