Drug Shortages Statistics

National Drug Shortages
New Shortages by Year
January 2001 to March 31, 2023

Note: Each column represents the number of new shortages identified during that year.

University of Utah Drug Information Service
Contact: [email protected], @foxerinr for more information.

 

National Drug Shortages
New Shortages by Year
January 2001 to March 31, 2023, % Injectable

 Note: Each column represents the number of new shortages identified during that year.

University of Utah Drug Information Service
Contact: [email protected], @foxerinr for more information.

 

National Drug Shortages
Active Shortages by Quarter – 5 Year Trend

 Note: Each point represents the number of active shortages at the end of each quarter.

University of Utah Drug Information Service
Contact: [email protected], @foxerinr for more information.

 

National Drug Shortages
Active Shortages Top 5 Drug Classes

 

University of Utah Drug Information Service
Contact: [email protected], @foxerinr for more information.

 

National Drug Shortages
Common Drug Classes in Short Supply – 5 Year Trend

  

University of Utah Drug Information Service
Contact: [email protected], @foxerinr for more information.

 

National Drug Shortages
Reasons for Shortages as Reported by Manufacturers
During UUDIS Investigation

    

University of Utah Drug Information Service
Contact: [email protected], @foxerinr for more information.

 

Summary

• Shortages are not resolving and new shortages are increasing. Ongoing and active shortages are the highest since 2014.
• Shortages of local anesthetics and basic hospital drugs, albuterol solution, common oral and ophthalmic products, and ADHD treatments are affecting large numbers of organizations and patients.
• Chemotherapy drugs, often without alternatives, are increasingly in short supply and have returned to the list of top-five drug classes affected by shortage.
• Workload required to  manage shortages, including work to change pharmacy automation and electronic health records is difficult in the face of staffing shortages.

Selected Links of Interest

• Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs (hearing and report)
  • https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/hearings/drug-shortage-health-and-national-security-risks-underlying-causes-and-needed-reforms/
  • https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Drug-Shortages-HSGAC-Majority-Staff-Report-2023-03-22.pdf
• Building Resilience Into US Prescription Drug Supply Chains
  • https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/building-resilience-into-us-prescription-drug-supply-chains
• National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to examine the security of America’s medical product supply chain  
  • https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/security-of-americas-medical-product-supply-chain
• Improving the Quality and Resilience of the United States Healthcare Supply Chain.
  • https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/news-and-media/docs/Healthcare-Supply-Chain-Recommendations
• National Strategy for a Resilient Public Health Supply Chain
  • https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/legal/Documents/National-Strategy-for-Resilient-Public-Health-Supply-Chain.pdf
• Essential Prescription Drugs Supply Chain and Manufacturing Resilience Assessment
  • https://www.armiusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ARMI_Essential-Medicines_Supply-Chain-Report_508.pdf