Global medication shortages have escalated from 2021 to 2024 across both developed and developing nations, presenting major challenges for patients with chronic or life-threatening illnesses.

In the US, a record 323 drug shortages were reported by early 2024, with life-saving drugs such as cancer chemotherapies, sterile injectables, antibiotics, ADHD medications, and intravenous fluids most severely affected.

Similar patterns were observed globally: Estonia’s shortages surged from 183 in 2021 to about 450 by 2023, impacting antibiotics, children's fever medicines, and drugs for kidney and heart conditions.

In Ireland, prescription paracetamol and other essentials became scarce during pandemic peaks.

Egypt witnessed shortfalls in heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and insulin drugs, primarily due to import dependency and economic instability.

Taiwan and Greater China reported shortages of antibiotics, insulin, intravenous fluids, and essential supplies used both in chronic disease management and urgent hospital care .

Shortages arise from fragmented supply chains, manufacturing setbacks, raw material scarcities, sudden demand surges (notably for diabetes and weight-loss drugs), and the global concentration of manufacturing in a few countries.

Regulatory bottlenecks, lack of transparency, and industry consolidation further exacerbate the issue, leaving systems highly vulnerable to geopolitical, economic, or quality-control shocks.

Drug prices increase with shortages, with some alternatives costing several times more, further straining patient access .

Healthcare systems have responded by rationing critical drugs, diverting limited supplies among facilities, substituting with generics or therapeutic alternatives, and creating early warning and tracking systems to anticipate risks.

Hospitals have also collaborated to optimize stock, rapidly switch treatment protocols, and implement strict rationing when necessary.

Global medication shortages have escalated from 2021 to 2024 across both developed and developing nations, presenting major challenges for patients with chronic or life-threatening illnesses.

Title:

Content: Meitu
The first quarter of the United States serious drug shortage 323 drugs urgent cancer patients also have to be diverted and rationed!
CHU HENG NETWORK NEWS CENTER 2024-04-16 10: 42
According to the latest data from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Utah Center for Drug Information Services, a total of 323 drugs in the United States were in severe shortages in the first quarter of this year, surpassing the record of 320 in 2014.
Among the drugs affected are the widely used diabetes drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro, the allergy treatment drug adrenaline, the common antibiotic amoxicillin for children, chemotherapy drugs and injections commonly used in hospitals in intensive care.
ASHP CEO Paul Abramowitz said in a statement that almost all categories of drugs are facing shortages, with non-patented sterile injectable drugs, including cancer chemotherapy drugs, and emergency drugs stored in hospital emergency vans and operating areas, the shortage of such drugs is the most worrying.
According to the American Cancer Society, chemotherapy is one of the top five drugs most affected by the shortage, which threatens to have a devastating impact on patients, and some hospitals and clinics say doctors have had to divert patients to ration their medications because of a shortage of some chemotherapy drugs.
In addition, ASHP noted that the continued nationwide shortage of ADHD drugs is “a problem for clinicians and patients. ”
The shortage of popular drugs is even more acute, with Mounjaro, the diabetes drug known as the “slimming pill ”, already in dire straits.
In response, Lilly said that the “unprecedented surge in demand ” for Mounjaro and its similar drug Zepbound has led to a shortage in the market, which the company is struggling to cope with.
Lilly is ramping up investments to boost production at Mounjaro and Zepbound in the second half of 2024.
The company said it expects intermittent supply disruptions in the near term due to unprecedented demand.
How to cure the drug shortage
The last major “drug shortage ” in U.S. history occurred in 2014, and it has only been alleviated in the years since.
Since 2021, the drug shortage situation seems to be increasing, and scholars in the field of medical health and economics in the United States believe that the reason for most drug shortages in the United States is the fragmentation of the drug supply chain.
The White House this month proposed spending between $3.26 billion and $5.11 billion over the next decade to help address the nation ’ s drug shortage.
The bill requires approval and funding from the U.S. Congress.
U.S. researchers and policymakers believe that a complete solution to the “drug shortage ” may require changes to the business model of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, including measures to increase the price of generic drugs to attract more drug manufacturers.
Policymakers recommend giving the FDA more power to access more information about drug shortages and impending shortages.
Currently, the FDA relies primarily on phone calls to manufacturers asking if they can increase their supply to understand the situation.
The American Society of Health System Pharmacists said it is working with the federal government to advise the government on measures to address the drug shortage, including that Congress should require manufacturers to be more transparent on any supply chain issues and encourage more diversity in supply chains.
According to Abramowitz, “The federal government still has a lot of work to do to fundamentally address drug shortages, and the American Society of Health System Pharmacists will continue to engage regularly with policymakers to guide them in drafting and passing new legislation to address drug shortages and continue to advocate vigorously for proven solutions on behalf of our members. ”

In the US, a record 323 drug shortages were reported by early 2024, with life-saving drugs such as cancer chemotherapies, sterile injectables, antibiotics, ADHD medications, and intravenous fluids most severely affected.

Similar patterns were observed globally: Estonia’s shortages surged from 183 in 2021 to about 450 by 2023, impacting antibiotics, children's fever medicines, and drugs for kidney and heart conditions.

Title:

Content: Drug supply problems have worsened in Estonia
This year, pharmacies in Estonia faced a much larger shortage of drugs than a year earlier.
Problems with supplies are caused by both increased demand and shortage of raw materials, reports rus.err with reference to "Actual chamber".
This spring, parents faced a shortage of antibiotics and antipyretic drugs suitable for children, and in the fall, the Sorbister drug for renal patients had to be issued from the state reserve stock, since it was not enough due to supply problems in pharmacies.
Hospitals are also facing a severe shortage of medicines this year.
“For example, hospitals use very important drugs to treat the consequences of heart attacks and strokes, the supply problems of which have been observed for a year, but thanks to good cooperation, we were able to ensure that no one was left without treatment, ” said Marco Tiisler, head of the Import and Export Supervision Department of the Drug Department.
In 2021, there was a shortage of 183 drugs in pharmacies, last year - 359, as of the end of this year - 450 drugs, and in the case of 130 drugs, the cause of the deficiency is unknown.
The second significant reason was a sudden surge in demand, for example, for the drug Ozempic, which is popular among those who lose weight, but drugs can be in short supply due to problems with production.
- Producers lack the active ingredient.
The active substances come from third countries, they are not always available, this was stated by one of the largest European manufacturers of antibiotics, - said Tiisler.
Drug supply problems put not only patients in a difficult position, but also doctors who have to quickly find replacements, sometimes in conditions of scarce information about alternatives.
If earlier, in the case of a shortage of drugs, the patient had to pay the full cost of the drug prescribed as a substitute, recently the Health Insurance Fund, as an exception, decided to extend the discount to some alternatives.
According to Lee Rootslane, head of the Union of Pharmacies, problems with the supply of medicines are a growing problem throughout Europe.
- This year, in cooperation with the Drug Department and family doctors, we made recommendations so that if a problem arises, we do not solve it after the fact, but try to provide some solutions and avoid panic.
In the case of children ’ s syrups, people read about the shortage of syrup, went to the pharmacy and took two syrups instead of the usual one, ” Rootslane said.
The drug department recommends having a weekly supply of non-prescription drugs and a monthly supply of prescription drugs at home.
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In Ireland, prescription paracetamol and other essentials became scarce during pandemic peaks.

Title:

Content: Ireland has been suffering a paracetamol shortage as cases of Covid-19 and the winter flu in the country soared over the festive and new year period.

The revelation was made by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly after his department received notification of a supply issue from the Health Products Regulatory Authority.

It is understood the shortage impacted some prescription paracetamol products.

Read More:Irish people complain of ‘worst ever’ winter bug sweeping country that feels like Covid but isn’t

Two suppliers affected have stated that resupply will be sometime in January 2023.

However, there are other prescription paracetamol suppliers with some stock available on the shelves.

Paracetamol is one of the medicines used most often in Ireland and especially for the flu, aches and pain.

But Mr Donnelly pointed out that there are multiple forms of the drug with different strengths and brands available from various sources.

He said: "In the event that there are some supply issues for individual medicines, alternative options such as alternative strengths and brands, generic medicines will usually be available to ensure continuity of treatment.

"In some cases where the medicine initially prescribed for the patient is unavailable, patients may be switched to a suitable therapeutic alternative following appropriate consultation with a healthcare professional."

The Health Minister said medicine shortages have been increasingly prevalent worldwide over the past decade. The causes of such shortages are multifactorial including shortage of raw materials, manufacturing difficulties and industry consolidations.

He stated: "Medicine shortages can originate at any point in the supply chain. They can involve and impact many stakeholders in different ways as the supply models and clinical use of therapies can vary across national health systems.

"Management of medicines shortages necessitates a multi-faceted, multi stakeholder response to ensure patient safety , continuity of care and protection of public health.

"Patients or their carers who have any concerns in relation to temporary alternative products provided because of medical shortages are advised to speak with their pharmacist or other healthcare [professionals] involved in their care."

Mr Donnelly was responding to a number of written Dail questions on the shortage of medicines.

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Egypt witnessed shortfalls in heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and insulin drugs, primarily due to import dependency and economic instability.

Title:

Content: Chairman of Wafd Party
Dr. Abdul Sindh Yamama
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Ayman is an accountant.
Editor-in-Chief
I'm sorry.
My grandfather, Zainuddin.
Chairman of Wafd Party
Dr. Abdul Sindh Yamama
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Ayman is an accountant.
Editor-in-Chief
I'm sorry.
My grandfather, Zainuddin.
Smuggling burns drug stability
Libya and Sudan are the main destinations.
And the profits are huge.
Deficiencies include stents, heart medications, diabetes, pressure, and tumors.
It is an undeniable fact that the Egyptian pharmaceutical market is experiencing a crisis of shortage of some vital items on which citizens depend mainly, and at all levels, which exacerbated the suffering of patients in public hospitals affiliated to the government, which receive subsidized medicines at low prices, so that the so-called alternative class becomes a citizen ’ s refuge, to get the necessary dose of medicine, to alleviate his health suffering or save his life.
At a time when it is assumed that more than 90% of medicines are manufactured in Egypt, citizens' complaints about the lack of many medicines and medical supplies in the markets and hospitals are escalating to the extent that deputies submitted a number of requests for briefing through the deputies, stressing that the crisis lies in the raw material itself and imported in dollars.
And the pressure.
Thyroid and sugar.
The main reasons lie in the importation of 95% of raw materials in addition to the presence of “smuggling brokers ” whose mission is to smuggle Egyptian medicine to neighboring conflict countries, especially Libya and Sudan, in order to sell it abroad at exorbitant prices, and to reap huge profits, according to some pharmacists and specialists. In addition to Sudan ’ s import of Egyptian medicine in hard currency, especially with the licenses of Egyptian medicine compared to others and the stopping of factories in neighboring countries because of their conflicts.
According to Ali Abdullah, head of the Egyptian Society for Pharmaceutical Studies (an NGO), the lack of medicines and their disappearance from the local market is a real crisis in case of smuggling, such as insulin, tumors, anesthesia, surgical supplies, serums and vaccines.
The shortage of hard currency in Egypt is also one of the reasons for the disappearance of medicines.
Mahfouz Ramzi, head of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Committee at the Cairo Pharmacists Syndicate, pointed out that there are organized gangs that smuggle medicine to countries of conflicts and wars, explaining that “most operations are conducted through land border roads, and the Egyptian Drug Authority is responsible for inspecting companies, factories and any pharmaceutical institution, to ensure that medicines produced in Egypt are in the normal sequence until they reach pharmacies. ”“ Some smuggling professionals deal with drug stores, where they buy large quantities of medicines, take advantage of discounts on them, and then smuggle them abroad to take advantage of the price difference. ”
The Executive Director of the Egyptian Center for the Right to Medicine, Mahmoud Fouad, confirmed that "the drug stores have turned into an illegal business and a back gate for drug smuggling and expired drug trade, as most of them are not licensed and sold without invoices, and are not subject to the umbrella of the Ministry of Health, in addition to the lack of health standards required to practice the profession of pharmacy, after some stores are run from apartments away from the eyes of the Ministry of the control bodies. 90% of its owners are not pharmacists. ”
“Are these stores registered with the Ministry of Health?
And are they subject to pharmaceutical inspection or from the Drug Control and Research Authority? ”, stressing that most of the small pharmacies in the villages “do not have the ability to buy medicine from distribution companies, which makes them resort to buying from stores after agreeing on specific facilities and periods for payment, ” pointing out that“ popular medicines in Egypt are the most smuggled abroad. ” From 250 pounds ($8 at the official exchange rate).
According to Dr. Ashraf Hatem, Chairman of the Health Committee in Parliament, it is a social responsibility, and priorities must be set, and all parties sitting together may help to solve the crisis, in light of the apparent shortage of a number of medical drugs, and his demand that the Drug Authority publish periodically and daily alternatives to the missing medicines in the absence of the original medicine. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry continues to operate and produce.
For all this and for the continuation of the crisis of drug shortage it was necessary to search and investigate the causes and solutions!
During the meeting of Gamal al-Laith, Chairman of the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry at the Federation of Industries, in the presence of Minister of Health Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, the Governor of the Central Bank, Hassan Abdullah, and others, he sent letters of reassurance to the Egyptian people about the existence of a solution to pump the needs of the market of foreign currency to end the shortage of medicines. Or psychologically for the patient.
He said: « The medicines that suffer from the shortage, some of them are sugar drugs and other drugs tumors and drugs of the glands and heart, drugs related to chronic diseases, which is now being secured, and we as factories work with a stock of raw materials enough for 4-6 months, and this stock reached only weeks, and therefore we are now in the stage of risk, and therefore the government began to move ».
He added that the health sector is supported by the provision of foreign exchange resources to provide all needs according to a plan to deal with such circumstances, stressing the importance of full coordination between the unified purchasing authority and the pharmaceutical industry room as well as pharmaceutical companies to face any problems related to the shortage of supplies, medicines and medical consumables.
As well as a detailed presentation on the commitments implemented and not implemented in the period from June 2023 to January 2024, with regard to the provision of (medicines, medical supplies, laboratory supplies, devices, raw materials and packing materials), and the Minister was briefed on the results of the mechanisms established with the Central Bank of Egypt to pay the obligations in foreign currency to meet the demands of the health care sector.
In the end, the official spokesman stressed that the shortage of drugs does not exceed 15% and the drugs directed to tumors are at the forefront of the shortcomings because of their close link to the currency and what faces the supply chains, otherwise all drugs and within them are compatible... The complaints are due in their entirety to the lack of knowledge of citizens with the trade names of medicines.
In addition to the above, a severe shortage of anesthetic drugs, dental pening drugs, nephrology and recovery drugs, which will cause a real disaster that threatens the conduct of surgical operations for patients, and thus increase the waiting lists in hospitals and the occurrence of complications for patients that may result in loss of their lives.
The head of the medicine division of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Ali Ouf, revealed that a request will be submitted to the Egyptian Drug Authority early next week to move the prices of 1,500 items in light of what he described as developments in the situation and rising costs.
He pointed out that « the need to raise the wages of workers in the pharmaceutical sector to compensate them for the cost of living and therefore must raise salaries so that they can live in the current conditions and the sector will bear the increase of salaries at the expense of cost and raise the minimum insurance ».
On the shortage of medicines, Amin al-Dabraki, one of the dealers in the pharmaceutical market, said that the main reason for the crisis is the lack of active substances imported by companies.
This is mainly due to the dollar crisis, in addition to the withdrawal of some financial companies from the Egyptian pharmaceutical market.
On the inability of the Ministry of Health to move the prices of medicines with the movement of the exchange rate, he said that the solutions are the intervention of the state by providing a fixed customs dollar for pharmaceutical companies, while moving the prices of medicines, in addition to starting factories to produce active substances inside Egypt.

Taiwan and Greater China reported shortages of antibiotics, insulin, intravenous fluids, and essential supplies used both in chronic disease management and urgent hospital care .

Shortages arise from fragmented supply chains, manufacturing setbacks, raw material scarcities, sudden demand surges (notably for diabetes and weight-loss drugs), and the global concentration of manufacturing in a few countries.

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Content: General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
An Unexpected Catastrophe in the World ’ s Largest Country: The Complete Story of U.S. Drug Shortages
The deficit is at a record level.
According to data from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists and the University of Utah Drug Information Service, organizations began tracking drug shortages for the first time in 2001. Steady since 2021 – now reaching a record high of 323 drugs in the first three months of 2024.
Paul Abramowitz, CEO of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, wrote in a blog post on Thursday: “It ’ s been a long time to end drug shortages, ” and wrote:“ All drug classes are vulnerable to shortages, some of the most worrisome shortages include sterile injectable generic drugs, including cancer chemotherapy drugs and emergency drugs stored in hospital vans and procedural areas. It is dangerous for doctors and patients. ”
In addition to the 32 chemotherapy drugs that are deficient, the five categories of drugs with the greatest deficiency include central nervous system stimulants, antimicrobials, hormonal agents, and intravenous fluids. [1] The Drug Deficiency Database maintained by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists and the University of Utah is based on voluntary reports from practitioners, patients, and others that have been confirmed by manufacturers. The U.S. drug is in short supply, because it captures broader effects on service providers and patients.
The crisis has lasted a year and a half.
More than half of the treatment shortages have lasted for more than two years, according to an analysis by health consultancy IQVIA, and the average shortage affects at least half a million patients, many of them elderly, according to the US Office of Health and Human Services under the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, which shared its analysis with Congress in May.
Growing demand can play a role in drug shortages, as with the recent shortage of weight-loss drugs, but often manufacturing and quality problems, such as supply chain gaps and downtime, are the root cause. And varied.
But the American Society of Health System Pharmacists has “serious concerns ” about parts of this proposal, especially financial sanctions imposed on hospitals that lack the resources to comply with the recommendations, Abramowitz wrote:“ We all know that managing shortages is not enough and is not a sustainable solution to the worsening crisis, and there is still a lot of work to be done at the federal level to fix the root causes of drug shortages. ”
Why Shortage Occurs
Shortages can be caused by high demand, as with the recent shortage of weight-loss drugs, but this is not usually the main problem.
The FDA also blames manufacturing and quality problems, supply chain gaps, and downtime, and Dr. Emily Tucker, a drug shortage expert and an assistant professor of industrial engineering at Clemson University, says that when there is an indication of shortages, large health systems often also proactively place large orders, adding to the system ’ s stress.
“I don ’ t blame anyone.
“When I talk to all the stakeholders – whether it ’ s wholesalers, manufacturers, or the government – everyone wants this problem to end, ” she said.
Lack of transparency
Dr. Julie Grallo, chief medical officer and executive vice president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, told the House Committee earlier that the shortage puts providers in a terrible position: “The drug shortage crisis is forcing providers to make impossible choices, and it is also hindering the development of new drugs. Health drugs are purchased only on a price basis, and manufacturers do not have to disclose the source of their acquisition of the ingredients.
The shortage of this generic chemical drug came due to the closure of one factory in India that manufactures the active ingredient after a surprise FDA inspection found “significant quality issues, ” says Jarallo:“ We didn ’ t know, and there was no transparency regarding the company ’ s supply of the majority of active pharmaceutical ingredients to all manufacturers across the board.
Knowing this in advance, we could have responded much faster, ” Dr. Steven Schundlemeyer, director of the PRIME Institute of the University of Minnesota School of Pharmacy, which focuses on economic and management issues, told the committee that as with defense contractors in the United States, New Zealand requires manufacturers to disclose their suppliers, and that information is required.
Easily accessible in the database.
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Regulatory bottlenecks, lack of transparency, and industry consolidation further exacerbate the issue, leaving systems highly vulnerable to geopolitical, economic, or quality-control shocks.

Drug prices increase with shortages, with some alternatives costing several times more, further straining patient access .

Title:

Content: Prescription drug shortages lead to higher prices

Reporter: Andryanna Sheppard
Published: Updated:
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Millions of people in the United States depend on prescription drugs to manage pain, treat medical conditions, and even to help them stay alive. However, the country’s drug shortage is making it hard for some people to get the medication they need or pay for the drugs that are available.

Federal Drug Administration data shows 90 percent of prescriptions in the US are for generic drugs. According to the National Institutes of Health, most prescription drugs involved in shortages are generic options.

There are currently more than 250 medications on the nation’s prescription drug shortage list, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. The organization says 2023 marked the worst year for shortages in about a decade.

Jessica Kahn’s two sons were diagnosed with ADD.

“I would say tricky, tricky to navigate,” Kahn described.

For the past year, Kahn said getting their medication has been frustrating.

“I have my list of all the pharmacies. I’ve even driven all the way up north to Walgreens or a CVS, some random place to go pick up a kids’ prescription,” Kahn added.

According to the FDA, prescription drug shortages are often linked to manufacturing and quality problems, delays, and discontinuations. Two drugs used in chemotherapy, Adderall, lidocaine, and amoxicillin are just a couple of the prescription medications on the shortage list.

When drug supplies are low, prices tend to increase. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, there is a 16.6 percent increase in the price of drugs involved in a shortage. And in some cases, alternative drugs were priced at least three times higher.

“You got to be very conscientious that it might not be available and that it is not an option,” Kahn advised. “No matter how many places you call, it’s not there.”

Beating the prescription drug shortage

Health experts offer these tips:

  • Check the national drug shortage list for your medication and possible alternatives.
  • Don’t wait until your prescription is almost gone to refill it.
  • Check other pharmacies for availability and if you can’t find the generic version, look for coupons or programs that offer payment help. Some patients have reported that they receive additional help to reduce some prescription costs from $100 to $10, it’s not allowed if you are already on Medicare.
  • Websites and apps like GoodRX, RX Saver and WellRX can help you find the cheapest place that has your medication and coupons for it.

Contributors to this news report include: Lindsay Dailey, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.

Healthcare systems have responded by rationing critical drugs, diverting limited supplies among facilities, substituting with generics or therapeutic alternatives, and creating early warning and tracking systems to anticipate risks.

Hospitals have also collaborated to optimize stock, rapidly switch treatment protocols, and implement strict rationing when necessary.


From 2021 to 2024, global medication and medical supply shortages have intensified, affecting both developed and developing countries across hospital and pharmacy settings.

The scope of the problem is extensive, with significant increases in drug shortages reported in the United States and worldwide.

In the U.S., shortages rose by 30% from 2021 to 2023, and in early 2024, 323 drugs were in documented short supply.

Nearly all drug categories have been affected, with critical shortages reported in antibiotics, anesthetics, chemotherapy drugs, diabetes medications (notably Ozempic and Mounjaro), adrenaline, amoxicillin, ADHD medications, and sterile injectable generics.

Other high-risk groups include heart drugs, hormone therapies, opioids, oncology drugs, IV fluids, and drugs for chronic or life-threatening diseases such as nephrology, thyroid, and rare disease medications .

Drug shortages are not limited to the United States.

Estonia's hospitals and pharmacies in 2023 lacked antibiotics, children’s fever medicines, and essential heart drugs for heart attack and stroke treatment.

Egypt is facing even more severe scarcities involving heart medications, diabetes and thyroid drugs, oncology drugs, anesthesia, and vaccines, with shortages especially acute among drugs for chronic and critical conditions.

Ireland experienced intermittent shortages of paracetamol during pandemic and flu surges, highlighting the global nature of these supply constraints.

In Taiwan, shortages span a range of drug classes, with causes and management strategies similar to those seen elsewhere .

The principal drivers of global medication shortages are multifactorial.

Major causes include an increasingly fragmented and opaque global supply chain, with high dependency on manufacturing in a small number of countries (e.g., India and China produce up to 90% of some common drug components).

This leads to vulnerability in the face of disasters, political instability, or economic disruptions.

Supply chain shocks, such as those related to COVID-19, conflict, or logistical blockages, have had cascading impacts.

Rising demand—especially for widely publicized medications like weight-loss drugs or during spikes in infectious disease—has outpaced available production.

Manufacturing issues, including factory closures for safety or quality problems, lack of raw materials, and underinvestment in generic drug production, further constrain availability.

Economic issues such as lack of incentive for generic manufacturers, hard currency shortages (particularly affecting import-dependent countries like Egypt), and market price disparities lead to underproduction and drug smuggling.

Also contributing are regulatory and administrative delays, industry consolidation, and lack of real-time transparency in production and distribution.

Shortages in rare disease drugs persist due to low prevalence, poor commercial interest, and high costs .

The impact of these shortages is far-reaching, affecting vulnerable populations such as the elderly and those with chronic or life-threatening illnesses.

In the U.S., it is estimated that an average shortage event affects at least half a million patients, forcing healthcare providers to make difficult decisions, including rationing drugs or prioritizing their use for the most critical patients (e.g., penicillin for pregnant patients and infants during a syphilis outbreak) .

In some cases, shortages last years—over half reportedly persist for more than two years—leading health systems to place large, anticipatory orders, sometimes exacerbating system stress and prolonging unavailability.

Health systems have developed several strategies to cope with shortages:

1. Substitution and Alternative Sourcing:

Healthcare providers often turn to alternative drugs or formulations when prime choices are unavailable, as seen in Ireland and Estonia.

For certain essential medicines, authorities have adjusted reimbursement rules or facilitated international imports.

In Egypt, rapid sourcing of substitutes and efforts to address parallel export/smuggling are reported.

2. Centralized Monitoring and Policy Reforms: Taiwan has implemented dedicated information platforms, real-time monitoring, and cross-department data sharing.

The U.S. FDA now requires advance notification of supply disruptions and calls for improved manufacturing transparency.

Encouraging Domestic Production: Some countries, like Taiwan, have supported domestic generic manufacturing to reduce dependency on external sources.

4. Strategic Stockpiling: Some hospitals and health systems pre-emptively acquire and hold larger stocks of essential medicines to buffer against anticipated shortages, but this sometimes leads to further supply inequities.

Regulatory and Financial Support:

Proposals in the U.S. include government investment to build supply chain resilience, transparency mandates, and regulatory flexibility.

China uses multi-tiered insurance and special funding for rare disease drugs to improve access and affordability .

At the individual level, especially for caregivers of patients with chronic, life-threatening conditions, several precautions and strategies are recommended.

These include keeping a buffer supply of essential medicines at home, understanding alternatives for each specific drug (formulation, dosage, or therapeutic equivalents), staying informed about ongoing or anticipated shortages through healthcare providers or pharmacy alerts, and discussing contingency plans with prescribers.

In countries with advanced notification systems or hotlines (like Taiwan), individuals can check real-time availability or ensure continuity of supply through alternative sources.

Caregivers of those reliant on rare disease therapies or essential hospital injectables should be vigilant, as these classes continue to be especially vulnerable.

Most commonly affected drug classes include antibiotics (amoxicillin, penicillins), diabetes treatments (Ozempic, Mounjaro, insulin), generics for oncology (chemotherapy), IV fluids and electrolytes, ADHD medicines, emergency drugs like adrenaline, hormonal medications (thyroid), and anesthesia drugs.

Hospital supplies, including injectable generics and certain vaccines, are particularly fragile.

Shortages may vary regionally, so local trends, pharmacy updates, and health authority guidance are crucial .

In conclusion, medication and medical supply shortages are an entrenched and growing global issue, impacting most drug classes and disproportionately affecting those with chronic or life-threatening conditions.

Causes are multifactorial, with supply chain vulnerabilities and global manufacturing imbalances at the core, compounded by economic, regulatory, and demand-related pressures.

Healthcare systems are adopting multi-tiered coping mechanisms, including alternative sourcing, improved monitoring, and domestic production incentives.

Caregivers should consult with healthcare providers to identify potential vulnerabilities regarding specific medications, develop contingency plans, and take advantage of resources such as governmental drug shortage alerts and pharmacy advice.

Further research may be needed to provide up-to-date, drug-specific shortage forecasts for your parent’s exact medications and to track ongoing local supply developments.

From 2021 to 2024, global medication and medical supply shortages have intensified, affecting both developed and developing countries across hospital and pharmacy settings.

Title:

Content: Drug supply problems have worsened in Estonia
This year, pharmacies in Estonia faced a much larger shortage of drugs than a year earlier.
Problems with supplies are caused by both increased demand and shortage of raw materials, reports rus.err with reference to "Actual chamber".
This spring, parents faced a shortage of antibiotics and antipyretic drugs suitable for children, and in the fall, the Sorbister drug for renal patients had to be issued from the state reserve stock, since it was not enough due to supply problems in pharmacies.
Hospitals are also facing a severe shortage of medicines this year.
“For example, hospitals use very important drugs to treat the consequences of heart attacks and strokes, the supply problems of which have been observed for a year, but thanks to good cooperation, we were able to ensure that no one was left without treatment, ” said Marco Tiisler, head of the Import and Export Supervision Department of the Drug Department.
In 2021, there was a shortage of 183 drugs in pharmacies, last year - 359, as of the end of this year - 450 drugs, and in the case of 130 drugs, the cause of the deficiency is unknown.
The second significant reason was a sudden surge in demand, for example, for the drug Ozempic, which is popular among those who lose weight, but drugs can be in short supply due to problems with production.
- Producers lack the active ingredient.
The active substances come from third countries, they are not always available, this was stated by one of the largest European manufacturers of antibiotics, - said Tiisler.
Drug supply problems put not only patients in a difficult position, but also doctors who have to quickly find replacements, sometimes in conditions of scarce information about alternatives.
If earlier, in the case of a shortage of drugs, the patient had to pay the full cost of the drug prescribed as a substitute, recently the Health Insurance Fund, as an exception, decided to extend the discount to some alternatives.
According to Lee Rootslane, head of the Union of Pharmacies, problems with the supply of medicines are a growing problem throughout Europe.
- This year, in cooperation with the Drug Department and family doctors, we made recommendations so that if a problem arises, we do not solve it after the fact, but try to provide some solutions and avoid panic.
In the case of children ’ s syrups, people read about the shortage of syrup, went to the pharmacy and took two syrups instead of the usual one, ” Rootslane said.
The drug department recommends having a weekly supply of non-prescription drugs and a monthly supply of prescription drugs at home.
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The scope of the problem is extensive, with significant increases in drug shortages reported in the United States and worldwide.

Title:

Content: Meitu
The first quarter of the United States serious drug shortage 323 drugs urgent cancer patients also have to be diverted and rationed!
CHU HENG NETWORK NEWS CENTER 2024-04-16 10: 42
According to the latest data from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Utah Center for Drug Information Services, a total of 323 drugs in the United States were in severe shortages in the first quarter of this year, surpassing the record of 320 in 2014.
Among the drugs affected are the widely used diabetes drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro, the allergy treatment drug adrenaline, the common antibiotic amoxicillin for children, chemotherapy drugs and injections commonly used in hospitals in intensive care.
ASHP CEO Paul Abramowitz said in a statement that almost all categories of drugs are facing shortages, with non-patented sterile injectable drugs, including cancer chemotherapy drugs, and emergency drugs stored in hospital emergency vans and operating areas, the shortage of such drugs is the most worrying.
According to the American Cancer Society, chemotherapy is one of the top five drugs most affected by the shortage, which threatens to have a devastating impact on patients, and some hospitals and clinics say doctors have had to divert patients to ration their medications because of a shortage of some chemotherapy drugs.
In addition, ASHP noted that the continued nationwide shortage of ADHD drugs is “a problem for clinicians and patients. ”
The shortage of popular drugs is even more acute, with Mounjaro, the diabetes drug known as the “slimming pill ”, already in dire straits.
In response, Lilly said that the “unprecedented surge in demand ” for Mounjaro and its similar drug Zepbound has led to a shortage in the market, which the company is struggling to cope with.
Lilly is ramping up investments to boost production at Mounjaro and Zepbound in the second half of 2024.
The company said it expects intermittent supply disruptions in the near term due to unprecedented demand.
How to cure the drug shortage
The last major “drug shortage ” in U.S. history occurred in 2014, and it has only been alleviated in the years since.
Since 2021, the drug shortage situation seems to be increasing, and scholars in the field of medical health and economics in the United States believe that the reason for most drug shortages in the United States is the fragmentation of the drug supply chain.
The White House this month proposed spending between $3.26 billion and $5.11 billion over the next decade to help address the nation ’ s drug shortage.
The bill requires approval and funding from the U.S. Congress.
U.S. researchers and policymakers believe that a complete solution to the “drug shortage ” may require changes to the business model of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, including measures to increase the price of generic drugs to attract more drug manufacturers.
Policymakers recommend giving the FDA more power to access more information about drug shortages and impending shortages.
Currently, the FDA relies primarily on phone calls to manufacturers asking if they can increase their supply to understand the situation.
The American Society of Health System Pharmacists said it is working with the federal government to advise the government on measures to address the drug shortage, including that Congress should require manufacturers to be more transparent on any supply chain issues and encourage more diversity in supply chains.
According to Abramowitz, “The federal government still has a lot of work to do to fundamentally address drug shortages, and the American Society of Health System Pharmacists will continue to engage regularly with policymakers to guide them in drafting and passing new legislation to address drug shortages and continue to advocate vigorously for proven solutions on behalf of our members. ”

In the U.S., shortages rose by 30% from 2021 to 2023, and in early 2024, 323 drugs were in documented short supply.

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Content: The New York Times Original
Continue reading Growing drug shortage in the United States has become a threat to national security
The shortage of medicines in the United States last year increased compared to 2021 by 30%, according to The New York Times.
However, the article notes that the growing shortage of inexpensive but critical drugs poses a national security threat to the United States.
The growing shortage of inexpensive but critical drugs poses a threat to U.S. national security and forces hospitals to make “terrible ” choices, writes The New York Times, citing a report prepared for hearings in the U.S. Senate.
According to this report, the shortage of medicines last year increased by almost 30% compared to 2021, with an average shortage of medicines observed for 18 months, and for some drugs – 15 years.
Among the drugs in short supply are conventional antibiotics and anesthetics, the article said.
Senator Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan and chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, said that these problems are related to economic factors, an opaque supply chain and the fact that 80% to 90% of some products are made abroad.
“Taken together, these underlying causes not only raise serious concerns about ensuring proper patient care, but also pose a serious threat to national security, ” Peters said.
Dr. Andrew Schumann, an oncology surgeon from Michigan, told senators at the hearing that the shortage of drugs in his field is "a tragedy occurring in slow motion."
As Schumann noted, recently due to the shortage of one cheap, but well-proven cancer drug, he had to choose which patients will receive this drug.
The article notes that many of the cheapest drugs tend to be made in countries such as India and China, where they are inexpensive to manufacture.
However, this concentration of production capacity creates an additional level of vulnerability to problems such as natural disasters and political unrest, emphasizes The New York Times.
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Nearly all drug categories have been affected, with critical shortages reported in antibiotics, anesthetics, chemotherapy drugs, diabetes medications (notably Ozempic and Mounjaro), adrenaline, amoxicillin, ADHD medications, and sterile injectable generics.

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Rise in syphilis, lack of penicillin worry officials

by Mark Dooley | Today at 4:00 a.m.

A shortage of penicillin to treat a skyrocketing number of syphilis cases is so dire that U.S. health officials are debating the need to declare a public health emergency, according to people familiar with the matter.

Major U.S. medical centers are rationing the recommended treatment for the deadly sexually transmitted disease because of a supply crunch. From Michigan to Missouri to Texas, some health care providers are prioritizing giving a key treatment -- penicillin G benzathine -- to pregnant patients and babies, because the drug can pass through the placenta and also treat the fetus.

Syphilis has been sickening more people over the past few years, but the latest surge in cases has been especially worrying to the federal government. The Department of Health and Human Services is mobilizing a new federal task force to tackle the problem, and staff members are discussing the possibility of declaring a public health emergency, which could give officials access to more funding to address the crisis, according to people familiar with the matter.

"This is a remarkable shortage," said Joseph Cherabie, an assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis' medical school, who treats syphilis patients. Because of the need to conserve the drug for pregnant patients, other people are getting less-than-ideal treatments for the infection.

The government's efforts are being led by Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Rachel Levine, according to one of the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. Levine has spent months recruiting experts to tackle the syphilis crisis, including officials at HHS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, which has been brought in to address ongoing drug shortages.

Levine and U.S. health officials at the CDC are weighing the benefits of the public health emergency declaration, such as the additional flexibility and money it would give HHS, one of the people said. They're also considering the potential drawbacks. Some are wary that a pandemic-fatigued public may consider it an overreaction and ignore similar declarations in the future. Ultimately, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra has the power to make a declaration.

"The department is closely monitoring the alarming rise in cases of syphilis and will continue working to address this public health threat," an HHS spokesperson said.

Drug shortages, though not uncommon, have hit nine-year highs in the U.S. Over the past year there have been shortages of antibiotics, chemotherapies and ADHD medicines, to name a few.

The situation is partly a result of under-investment in manufacturing after years of falling generic drug prices. Companies have also been caught off-guard by unexpected changes in demand, creating far-reaching consequences that imperil lives.

The penicillin shortage began in April. The FDA said it was caused by increases in cases of syphilis and strep throat. Because a common antibiotic used to treat strep was in short supply this winter, patients were prescribed penicillin as an alternative, driving up demand for the drug.

That created an acute problem at a time when syphilis cases were rising precipitously. Rates of syphilis in 2021 were the highest since 1990, according to the most updated government data. In 2021, at least 176,000 cases of syphilis were reported, 32% more than the year before. The infection disproportionately impacts gay and bisexual men.

Pfizer Inc. is the only company that makes penicillin G benzathine for the U.S., selling it under the brand name Bicillin L-A.

The company has told the FDA that supply disruptions for the two most common doses of penicillin G benzathine will likely continue into the second quarter of 2024. Pfizer has added night and weekend shifts to increase production. To free up manufacturing resources, it's also deprioritized production of a smaller dose of Bicillin L-A that's not widely used.

Syphilis is especially dangerous for pregnant people, who can pass it on to a fetus, which often results in pregnancy loss, death of a baby shortly after birth or severe disability in children. Cases of this type of syphilis, called congenital syphilis, are also at their highest rates since the 1990s. In 2021, there were 2,855 cases reported, up 32% from the year prior. The disease is completely preventable with penicillin G benzathine.

Penicillin G benzathine is also often the most recommended treatment for people who aren't pregnant. Yet with supplies running short, the CDC is advising that doctors turn to another antibiotic, doxycycline. That's less convenient for patients, because doxycycline is a pill given twice a day for at least two weeks, whereas penicillin G benzathine is an injection that can sometimes clear the disease completely with one dose.

That makes doctors worry that some patients might not complete their treatment with doxycycline. Syphilis particularly affects people suffering from substance abuse, housing instability or homelessness, which makes it more difficult to sustain long-term medical care.

There's also less evidence backing the drug than there is for penicillin, according to physicians.

"We're learning in real time how effective doxycycline can be," Cherabie said.

Some states or health systems are directing doctors to use doxycycline for syphilis. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has instructed state-funded clinics to use doxycycline for certain patients because of the shortage, spokesperson Chelsea Wuth said.

At Houston Methodist, a health system with seven hospitals in the Houston area, penicillin G benzathine is reserved for pregnant patients and babies with syphilis, spokesperson Gale Smith said.

Some clinics have been able to get sufficient amounts of the Pfizer drug, at least for the time being. State-operated health clinics in South Carolina have been able to purchase as much as they need, a spokesperson for the health and environment department said.

While rates of HIV have been declining, other sexually transmitted diseases have become more prevalent in recent years. Condom use has fallen as more effective medications for HIV have become available, leaving people vulnerable to illnesses like syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea.

There are also fewer resources to identify people who need treatment and get them help. STD prevention work happens largely at local and state public-health departments, which have been losing money and staff over the years. The covid-19 pandemic diverted already scarce public health resources away from STD work.

The rise in syphilis cases is also prompting concern at a state level. Last year, New Mexico renewed a statewide public health order mandating that health care providers screen pregnant women for syphilis multiple times to catch the disease. The state had only one case of congenital syphilis reported in 2017. It had 42 in 2020.

Print Headline: Rise in syphilis, lack of penicillin worry officials

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Other high-risk groups include heart drugs, hormone therapies, opioids, oncology drugs, IV fluids, and drugs for chronic or life-threatening diseases such as nephrology, thyroid, and rare disease medications .

Drug shortages are not limited to the United States.

Title:

Content: The lack of medicine continues to burn!
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has proposed a short, medium and long-term strategy to deal with the current 5 coping mechanisms.
Journalist Yen Zhenzhen / Taipei Report
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the shortage of drugs is not a single factor, but includes supply problems, manufacturing problems, clinical demand factors, uneven distribution of drugs, drug use habits and drug prices. In addition to dealing with the relatively high clinical demand items, it is properly allocated to all levels of medical institutions and pharmacies to fully meet the needs of clinical end-use drugs.
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In the face of the shortage of drugs, Wang said, the existing health insurance uses five major coping mechanisms, including 1, a single processing window, a dedicated person to help deal with the problem of drug purchase, and contact the Food and Drug Administration to put relevant information on the website of the NHI. (4) Drug price adjustment mechanism that does not meet the cost can be re-checked according to the way of raising the price of special drugs; (5) Alternative drugs can still declare the cost, if they are not irreplaceable, they can be replaced at the same price or lower than the original prescription drug price.
In addition, Wang pointed out that in the face of the international epidemic, the Russian-Ukrainian war, and labor shortage, drug shortage is a problem facing all countries. In order to strengthen the stable supply mechanism of drugs in China, the Ministry of Health and Welfare continues to actively respond to the short-term strategy to solve the problem of drug shortage. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the pharmaceutical industry have made every effort to actively arrange production lines, strive for early import, increase production / import quantity, and properly distribute to all levels of medical institutions and pharmacies to fully meet the demand for clinical end use drugs.
In addition, to properly handle the issue of drug price adjustment, the Central Health Insurance Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare intends to implement the "Universal Health Insurance Cost Distribution Target System (DET)" in April this year, which will adjust the number of drug prices and adjust the quota in a suitable manner, taking into account factors such as the epidemic, the Russian-Ukrainian war and inflation.
In terms of medium-term strategy, Wang said that he will establish a permanent drug shortage treatment center and optimize drug supply information transmission.
In order to speed up the handling of drug shortage incidents, we will adopt dedicated personnel and cross-departmental cooperation to develop drug shortage prevention policies to prevent drug shortage in advance, strengthen cross-departmental data integration and proactive monitoring to detect drug shortage incidents at an early stage, and intervene early through cross-departmental cooperation to stabilize drug supply.
At the same time, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to disseminate drug supply and alternative drug information through various channels. In addition to posting on the “Drug Supply Information Platform ”, the FDA will notify medical institutions and pharmacies through VPN, and weekly letters to relevant medical associations and public associations to inform members. Management system.
In the long-term strategy section, it includes reviewing the current health insurance drug pricing policy and encouraging the production of domestically manufactured generic drugs.
Wang Bi-sheng pointed out that in the review of the current health insurance drug price policy, including the development of the price protection of indicative drugs, drug price review for the lack of drugs; start the review of drug expenditure target (DET), plan the establishment of a risk control mechanism, plan the national unified procurement trial plan; comprehensively review the health insurance drug price policy, give an appropriate price protection mechanism for necessary drugs, and also target the patent period. To encourage the production of domestic manufacturers to ensure that when there is a shortage of original pharmaceutical products, there are domestic famous drugs to respond.
Wang also stressed that the Food and Drug Administration has set up a "Drug Supply Information Platform" (https: / / dsms.fda.gov.tw /), reporting hotline (02) 27878249. If medical institutions and pharmacies have any shortage of drugs, they can go to the platform for enquiry or notification, and the department will deal with it immediately.
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Estonia's hospitals and pharmacies in 2023 lacked antibiotics, children’s fever medicines, and essential heart drugs for heart attack and stroke treatment.

Egypt is facing even more severe scarcities involving heart medications, diabetes and thyroid drugs, oncology drugs, anesthesia, and vaccines, with shortages especially acute among drugs for chronic and critical conditions.

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Content: Chairman of Wafd Party
Dr. Abdul Sindh Yamama
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Ayman is an accountant.
Editor-in-Chief
I'm sorry.
My grandfather, Zainuddin.
Chairman of Wafd Party
Dr. Abdul Sindh Yamama
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Ayman is an accountant.
Editor-in-Chief
I'm sorry.
My grandfather, Zainuddin.
Smuggling burns drug stability
Libya and Sudan are the main destinations.
And the profits are huge.
Deficiencies include stents, heart medications, diabetes, pressure, and tumors.
It is an undeniable fact that the Egyptian pharmaceutical market is experiencing a crisis of shortage of some vital items on which citizens depend mainly, and at all levels, which exacerbated the suffering of patients in public hospitals affiliated to the government, which receive subsidized medicines at low prices, so that the so-called alternative class becomes a citizen ’ s refuge, to get the necessary dose of medicine, to alleviate his health suffering or save his life.
At a time when it is assumed that more than 90% of medicines are manufactured in Egypt, citizens' complaints about the lack of many medicines and medical supplies in the markets and hospitals are escalating to the extent that deputies submitted a number of requests for briefing through the deputies, stressing that the crisis lies in the raw material itself and imported in dollars.
And the pressure.
Thyroid and sugar.
The main reasons lie in the importation of 95% of raw materials in addition to the presence of “smuggling brokers ” whose mission is to smuggle Egyptian medicine to neighboring conflict countries, especially Libya and Sudan, in order to sell it abroad at exorbitant prices, and to reap huge profits, according to some pharmacists and specialists. In addition to Sudan ’ s import of Egyptian medicine in hard currency, especially with the licenses of Egyptian medicine compared to others and the stopping of factories in neighboring countries because of their conflicts.
According to Ali Abdullah, head of the Egyptian Society for Pharmaceutical Studies (an NGO), the lack of medicines and their disappearance from the local market is a real crisis in case of smuggling, such as insulin, tumors, anesthesia, surgical supplies, serums and vaccines.
The shortage of hard currency in Egypt is also one of the reasons for the disappearance of medicines.
Mahfouz Ramzi, head of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Committee at the Cairo Pharmacists Syndicate, pointed out that there are organized gangs that smuggle medicine to countries of conflicts and wars, explaining that “most operations are conducted through land border roads, and the Egyptian Drug Authority is responsible for inspecting companies, factories and any pharmaceutical institution, to ensure that medicines produced in Egypt are in the normal sequence until they reach pharmacies. ”“ Some smuggling professionals deal with drug stores, where they buy large quantities of medicines, take advantage of discounts on them, and then smuggle them abroad to take advantage of the price difference. ”
The Executive Director of the Egyptian Center for the Right to Medicine, Mahmoud Fouad, confirmed that "the drug stores have turned into an illegal business and a back gate for drug smuggling and expired drug trade, as most of them are not licensed and sold without invoices, and are not subject to the umbrella of the Ministry of Health, in addition to the lack of health standards required to practice the profession of pharmacy, after some stores are run from apartments away from the eyes of the Ministry of the control bodies. 90% of its owners are not pharmacists. ”
“Are these stores registered with the Ministry of Health?
And are they subject to pharmaceutical inspection or from the Drug Control and Research Authority? ”, stressing that most of the small pharmacies in the villages “do not have the ability to buy medicine from distribution companies, which makes them resort to buying from stores after agreeing on specific facilities and periods for payment, ” pointing out that“ popular medicines in Egypt are the most smuggled abroad. ” From 250 pounds ($8 at the official exchange rate).
According to Dr. Ashraf Hatem, Chairman of the Health Committee in Parliament, it is a social responsibility, and priorities must be set, and all parties sitting together may help to solve the crisis, in light of the apparent shortage of a number of medical drugs, and his demand that the Drug Authority publish periodically and daily alternatives to the missing medicines in the absence of the original medicine. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry continues to operate and produce.
For all this and for the continuation of the crisis of drug shortage it was necessary to search and investigate the causes and solutions!
During the meeting of Gamal al-Laith, Chairman of the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry at the Federation of Industries, in the presence of Minister of Health Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, the Governor of the Central Bank, Hassan Abdullah, and others, he sent letters of reassurance to the Egyptian people about the existence of a solution to pump the needs of the market of foreign currency to end the shortage of medicines. Or psychologically for the patient.
He said: « The medicines that suffer from the shortage, some of them are sugar drugs and other drugs tumors and drugs of the glands and heart, drugs related to chronic diseases, which is now being secured, and we as factories work with a stock of raw materials enough for 4-6 months, and this stock reached only weeks, and therefore we are now in the stage of risk, and therefore the government began to move ».
He added that the health sector is supported by the provision of foreign exchange resources to provide all needs according to a plan to deal with such circumstances, stressing the importance of full coordination between the unified purchasing authority and the pharmaceutical industry room as well as pharmaceutical companies to face any problems related to the shortage of supplies, medicines and medical consumables.
As well as a detailed presentation on the commitments implemented and not implemented in the period from June 2023 to January 2024, with regard to the provision of (medicines, medical supplies, laboratory supplies, devices, raw materials and packing materials), and the Minister was briefed on the results of the mechanisms established with the Central Bank of Egypt to pay the obligations in foreign currency to meet the demands of the health care sector.
In the end, the official spokesman stressed that the shortage of drugs does not exceed 15% and the drugs directed to tumors are at the forefront of the shortcomings because of their close link to the currency and what faces the supply chains, otherwise all drugs and within them are compatible... The complaints are due in their entirety to the lack of knowledge of citizens with the trade names of medicines.
In addition to the above, a severe shortage of anesthetic drugs, dental pening drugs, nephrology and recovery drugs, which will cause a real disaster that threatens the conduct of surgical operations for patients, and thus increase the waiting lists in hospitals and the occurrence of complications for patients that may result in loss of their lives.
The head of the medicine division of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Ali Ouf, revealed that a request will be submitted to the Egyptian Drug Authority early next week to move the prices of 1,500 items in light of what he described as developments in the situation and rising costs.
He pointed out that « the need to raise the wages of workers in the pharmaceutical sector to compensate them for the cost of living and therefore must raise salaries so that they can live in the current conditions and the sector will bear the increase of salaries at the expense of cost and raise the minimum insurance ».
On the shortage of medicines, Amin al-Dabraki, one of the dealers in the pharmaceutical market, said that the main reason for the crisis is the lack of active substances imported by companies.
This is mainly due to the dollar crisis, in addition to the withdrawal of some financial companies from the Egyptian pharmaceutical market.
On the inability of the Ministry of Health to move the prices of medicines with the movement of the exchange rate, he said that the solutions are the intervention of the state by providing a fixed customs dollar for pharmaceutical companies, while moving the prices of medicines, in addition to starting factories to produce active substances inside Egypt.

Ireland experienced intermittent shortages of paracetamol during pandemic and flu surges, highlighting the global nature of these supply constraints.

Title:

Content: Ireland has been suffering a paracetamol shortage as cases of Covid-19 and the winter flu in the country soared over the festive and new year period.

The revelation was made by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly after his department received notification of a supply issue from the Health Products Regulatory Authority.

It is understood the shortage impacted some prescription paracetamol products.

Read More:Irish people complain of ‘worst ever’ winter bug sweeping country that feels like Covid but isn’t

Two suppliers affected have stated that resupply will be sometime in January 2023.

However, there are other prescription paracetamol suppliers with some stock available on the shelves.

Paracetamol is one of the medicines used most often in Ireland and especially for the flu, aches and pain.

But Mr Donnelly pointed out that there are multiple forms of the drug with different strengths and brands available from various sources.

He said: "In the event that there are some supply issues for individual medicines, alternative options such as alternative strengths and brands, generic medicines will usually be available to ensure continuity of treatment.

"In some cases where the medicine initially prescribed for the patient is unavailable, patients may be switched to a suitable therapeutic alternative following appropriate consultation with a healthcare professional."

The Health Minister said medicine shortages have been increasingly prevalent worldwide over the past decade. The causes of such shortages are multifactorial including shortage of raw materials, manufacturing difficulties and industry consolidations.

He stated: "Medicine shortages can originate at any point in the supply chain. They can involve and impact many stakeholders in different ways as the supply models and clinical use of therapies can vary across national health systems.

"Management of medicines shortages necessitates a multi-faceted, multi stakeholder response to ensure patient safety , continuity of care and protection of public health.

"Patients or their carers who have any concerns in relation to temporary alternative products provided because of medical shortages are advised to speak with their pharmacist or other healthcare [professionals] involved in their care."

Mr Donnelly was responding to a number of written Dail questions on the shortage of medicines.

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In Taiwan, shortages span a range of drug classes, with causes and management strategies similar to those seen elsewhere .

The principal drivers of global medication shortages are multifactorial.

Major causes include an increasingly fragmented and opaque global supply chain, with high dependency on manufacturing in a small number of countries (e.g., India and China produce up to 90% of some common drug components).

Title:

Content: General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
An Unexpected Catastrophe in the World ’ s Largest Country: The Complete Story of U.S. Drug Shortages
The deficit is at a record level.
According to data from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists and the University of Utah Drug Information Service, organizations began tracking drug shortages for the first time in 2001. Steady since 2021 – now reaching a record high of 323 drugs in the first three months of 2024.
Paul Abramowitz, CEO of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, wrote in a blog post on Thursday: “It ’ s been a long time to end drug shortages, ” and wrote:“ All drug classes are vulnerable to shortages, some of the most worrisome shortages include sterile injectable generic drugs, including cancer chemotherapy drugs and emergency drugs stored in hospital vans and procedural areas. It is dangerous for doctors and patients. ”
In addition to the 32 chemotherapy drugs that are deficient, the five categories of drugs with the greatest deficiency include central nervous system stimulants, antimicrobials, hormonal agents, and intravenous fluids. [1] The Drug Deficiency Database maintained by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists and the University of Utah is based on voluntary reports from practitioners, patients, and others that have been confirmed by manufacturers. The U.S. drug is in short supply, because it captures broader effects on service providers and patients.
The crisis has lasted a year and a half.
More than half of the treatment shortages have lasted for more than two years, according to an analysis by health consultancy IQVIA, and the average shortage affects at least half a million patients, many of them elderly, according to the US Office of Health and Human Services under the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, which shared its analysis with Congress in May.
Growing demand can play a role in drug shortages, as with the recent shortage of weight-loss drugs, but often manufacturing and quality problems, such as supply chain gaps and downtime, are the root cause. And varied.
But the American Society of Health System Pharmacists has “serious concerns ” about parts of this proposal, especially financial sanctions imposed on hospitals that lack the resources to comply with the recommendations, Abramowitz wrote:“ We all know that managing shortages is not enough and is not a sustainable solution to the worsening crisis, and there is still a lot of work to be done at the federal level to fix the root causes of drug shortages. ”
Why Shortage Occurs
Shortages can be caused by high demand, as with the recent shortage of weight-loss drugs, but this is not usually the main problem.
The FDA also blames manufacturing and quality problems, supply chain gaps, and downtime, and Dr. Emily Tucker, a drug shortage expert and an assistant professor of industrial engineering at Clemson University, says that when there is an indication of shortages, large health systems often also proactively place large orders, adding to the system ’ s stress.
“I don ’ t blame anyone.
“When I talk to all the stakeholders – whether it ’ s wholesalers, manufacturers, or the government – everyone wants this problem to end, ” she said.
Lack of transparency
Dr. Julie Grallo, chief medical officer and executive vice president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, told the House Committee earlier that the shortage puts providers in a terrible position: “The drug shortage crisis is forcing providers to make impossible choices, and it is also hindering the development of new drugs. Health drugs are purchased only on a price basis, and manufacturers do not have to disclose the source of their acquisition of the ingredients.
The shortage of this generic chemical drug came due to the closure of one factory in India that manufactures the active ingredient after a surprise FDA inspection found “significant quality issues, ” says Jarallo:“ We didn ’ t know, and there was no transparency regarding the company ’ s supply of the majority of active pharmaceutical ingredients to all manufacturers across the board.
Knowing this in advance, we could have responded much faster, ” Dr. Steven Schundlemeyer, director of the PRIME Institute of the University of Minnesota School of Pharmacy, which focuses on economic and management issues, told the committee that as with defense contractors in the United States, New Zealand requires manufacturers to disclose their suppliers, and that information is required.
Easily accessible in the database.
Related Topics

This leads to vulnerability in the face of disasters, political instability, or economic disruptions.

Supply chain shocks, such as those related to COVID-19, conflict, or logistical blockages, have had cascading impacts.

Rising demand—especially for widely publicized medications like weight-loss drugs or during spikes in infectious disease—has outpaced available production.

Manufacturing issues, including factory closures for safety or quality problems, lack of raw materials, and underinvestment in generic drug production, further constrain availability.

Economic issues such as lack of incentive for generic manufacturers, hard currency shortages (particularly affecting import-dependent countries like Egypt), and market price disparities lead to underproduction and drug smuggling.

Also contributing are regulatory and administrative delays, industry consolidation, and lack of real-time transparency in production and distribution.

Shortages in rare disease drugs persist due to low prevalence, poor commercial interest, and high costs .

Title:

Content: Health · Life
Let rare disease patients have a doctor, medicine, and protection
Li He
January 11, 2023 07: 51 Source: Science and Technology Daily
53%
In recent years, relevant departments have strongly supported the prevention and protection of rare diseases, and strengthened the supply of rare diseases research, diagnosis and treatment and drug research and development.
According to statistics, as of the end of November 2022, 89 drugs for the treatment of 45 rare diseases have been approved in China, and the number of rare diseases that can be treated in China accounts for 53% of the number of rare diseases that can be treated in the world.
On January 8 this year, the on-site negotiations on the national medical insurance drug catalog in 2022 were officially concluded.
Among them, 19 drugs for rare diseases, including Fabric's disease, Pompeii's disease, Gosher's disease, pulmonary hypertension and spinal muscular atrophy, set a new record.
Rare diseases are also called "orphan diseases".
According to the definition given in the "China Rare Disease Definition Research Report 2021", diseases with a neonatal incidence of less than one in 10,000, a prevalence of less than one in 10,000, and a number of diseases with a disease of less than 140,000, can be rare diseases.
Although the incidence of rare diseases is extremely low, but there are many kinds of diseases, the total number of patients is not a lot.
As of February 2022, there are more than 20 million rare disease patients in China, and more than 200,000 new patients are added every year.
Qiao Jie, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and executive vice president of Peking University, said that more than 7,000 rare diseases have been found in the world, about 80 percent of which are hereditary diseases and about 50 percent of which occur in childhood.
"Disease without medicine", "medicine without medicine" and "medicine without insurance" are common "crux" faced by patients with rare diseases.
Build a network of diagnosis and treatment, solve the problem of "no medical care"
Because rare diseases are rare and the number of patients with a single disease is very small, doctors, especially grass-roots hospitals, have insufficient ability to recognize and diagnose rare diseases, which restricts the improvement of rare diseases diagnosis and treatment ability.
The first step in the treatment of diseases is correct diagnosis, and difficult to diagnose is the first difficulty encountered by rare disease patients. In September 2021, a rare disease patient weighing only 18 kg was admitted to Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
A Beijing doctor who happened to return to his hometown to visit his family suggested that he go to Peking University First Hospital for detailed investigation, so that sail, who is suffering from congenital muscular dystrophy, has an opportunity for early treatment.
According to the "2020 China Rare Disease Comprehensive Social Survey" released by the China Rare Disease Alliance, 15.5% of the more than 20,000 patients participating in the survey need to experience 1-4 years of diagnosis, and 5% of patients need to experience 5-20 years of diagnosis, with an average diagnosis time of 4.26 years.
Of these, 42% also experienced a misdiagnosis.
In order to improve the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases, in 2018, the five departments of the National Health and Health Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology jointly issued the "First Catalogue of Rare Diseases". 121 diseases were included in the list of rare diseases. In October 2019, China launched the registration of rare disease diagnosis and treatment information. In February 2020, the office of the national rare disease diagnosis and treatment network was officially established.
The implementation of a series of policies has made the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases in China continue to improve.
Zhang Liyang, president of Beijing Union Hospital and deputy director of the office of the National Rare Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Network, said that as the national leading hospital of the National Rare Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Network, in 2018 Beijing Union Hospital set up a multi-disciplinary consultation platform for rare diseases, which has registered 93 rare diseases in the National Rare Disease Direct Reporting System, involving more than 60,000 cases.
With the support of all parties, Beijing Union Hospital has taken the lead in carrying out many training sessions in many parts of the country, involving more than 80 rare diseases and covering more than 50,000 doctors.
Strengthen drug research and development and get rid of the dilemma of "medicine without medicine"
Due to the small market demand, difficult research and development, high cost and long cycle, there are not many pharmaceutical companies involved in the R & D and production of rare disease drugs, which leads to less rare disease drugs, known as "orphan drugs".
The data show that of the more than 7,000 rare diseases currently known, there are no more than 400 corresponding treatment drugs.
Strengthening the research and development of rare diseases is an important part of helping the treatment of rare diseases.
Domestic pharmaceutical companies are already working in this area.
Beihai Kangcheng, Kantini Pharmaceutical, Deyi Sunshine Bio, Shufang Medicine, Luang Yu Group, Faith Pharmaceutical Technology, etc. have invested huge funds and energy in the field of rare diseases drugs.
Beihaikang, for example, has received an exclusive global license from the Massachusetts State University School of Medicine to develop, produce and commercialize a new second-generation gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy.
Huang Guo, deputy director of the State Drug Administration, said that we need to continue to promote rare disease drug research and development innovation in the future, and encourage foreign innovative drugs to synchronously research and development, clinical and synchronous declaration in China, and strive to synchronize the listing, so that rare diseases patients in China can use drugs faster and use good drugs.
In recent years, relevant departments have strongly supported the prevention and protection of rare diseases, and strengthened the supply of rare diseases research, diagnosis and treatment and drug research and development.
According to statistics, as of the end of November 2022, 89 drugs for the treatment of 45 rare diseases have been approved in China, and the number of rare diseases that can be treated in China accounts for 53% of the number of rare diseases that can be treated in the world.
The introduction of multiple guarantees to reduce the worry of "drug no guarantee"
"Although the incidence of rare diseases is extremely low, the cost of medical treatment is very high, and the annual cost of medical treatment for rare diseases can reach tens of millions of yuan," said Shan Xiaoou, a member of the Rare Disease Group of the Chinese Medical Association.
In addition, medical insurance reimbursement is difficult, and many drugs for rare diseases with extremely high prices are not included in the list of basic medical insurance drugs.
Most of the medicines cannot be reimbursed by the basic medical insurance and the major diseases insurance fund, and they can only pay for themselves.
In order to enable more rare disease patients to afford drugs, the National Basic Medical Insurance, Industrial Injury Insurance and Maternity Insurance Drug Catalogue (2021) has included 58 rare disease drugs, accounting for about 67% of the listed rare disease drugs.
For example, Nocina sodium injection, which used to be 700,000 yuan per needle, was included in medical insurance after medical insurance negotiations with more than 30,000 yuan, and children with spinal muscular atrophy became "lucky children".
Various localities have also actively explored the mechanism of drug protection.
More than 10 provinces and cities across the country have set up drug protection mechanisms involving high-value drugs for rare diseases, including special funds, major medical insurance, financial contributions, medical assistance, and policy-oriented commercial insurance.
In many places, it is not just a single system guarantee, but by the government, the market and society to provide multiple guarantees, supplementing the national basic medical insurance, and realizing the "access to medication" of rare disease patients who need high-value drug treatment.
For example, Zhejiang is the first province to introduce a provincial medical guarantee mechanism for rare diseases. In 2015, according to the economic and social development level of Zhejiang Province, the balance of medical insurance fund and the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases.
In terms of commercial supplementary medical insurance, the "West Lake Benefit Joint Insurance" has set up special medical insurance for three rare diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy.
The medical insurance will be paid at a rate of 60 percent after deducting the initial payment line of 10,000 yuan for the year, and the maximum payment limit for the year will be 100,000 yuan.
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Rare diseases must be prevented.
"There are many kinds of birth defects, there are more than 8,000 kinds, a considerable proportion of which are rare diseases." Song Li, director of the Department of Maternal and Child Health of the National Health and Health Commission, said that the number of pre-screening institutions in China has reached more than 4,800, prenatal diagnostic institutions reached 498, and newborn genetic and metabolic disease screening institutions have been popularized in many provinces and cities.
Song Li pointed out that rare diseases should be prevented and controlled from the source.
China has adopted three levels of prevention and control measures to prevent birth defects, and has moved forward through marriage, childbirth and newborn screening, so as to ensure early detection, early intervention and early treatment, and reduce the incidence of rare diseases.
"In the case that more than 90% of rare diseases are not solved, prevention is the most cost-effective health strategy," Yu Xuejun, deputy director of the National Health Commission, said.
(Editor: Sun Hongli, Yang Di)
Related News

The impact of these shortages is far-reaching, affecting vulnerable populations such as the elderly and those with chronic or life-threatening illnesses.

In the U.S., it is estimated that an average shortage event affects at least half a million patients, forcing healthcare providers to make difficult decisions, including rationing drugs or prioritizing their use for the most critical patients (e.g., penicillin for pregnant patients and infants during a syphilis outbreak) .

In some cases, shortages last years—over half reportedly persist for more than two years—leading health systems to place large, anticipatory orders, sometimes exacerbating system stress and prolonging unavailability.

Health systems have developed several strategies to cope with shortages:

1. Substitution and Alternative Sourcing:

Healthcare providers often turn to alternative drugs or formulations when prime choices are unavailable, as seen in Ireland and Estonia.

For certain essential medicines, authorities have adjusted reimbursement rules or facilitated international imports.

In Egypt, rapid sourcing of substitutes and efforts to address parallel export/smuggling are reported.

2. Centralized Monitoring and Policy Reforms: Taiwan has implemented dedicated information platforms, real-time monitoring, and cross-department data sharing.

Title:

Content: Health Hall of Fame / Health Insurance Drug Price Drop 3 Suggestions to Improve Drug Supply Resilience
The recent closure of Yongfeng Chemical Industry by the Food and Drug Administration has led to a shortage of physiological saline and glucose transfusions used in various kinds of operations, kidney dialysis and hospitalization.
Since 2013, China has implemented the Drug Expenses Target System (DET). According to Article 13 of the "Measures for the Price Adjustment of Medicines for National Health Insurance", the drugs are divided into three categories according to the "new and old degree". "Old Medicine".
Sacrificing old drugs affects 80% of patients' rights
However, when the "new" and "old" drugs are adjusted every two years, the price and cost tend to show the trend of "new drugs rise, old drugs disappear", which means that the price of old drugs is sacrificed to meet the growth costs of new drugs or new items.
In addition to chronic diseases drugs, affecting about 80% of patients' drug rights, but also including such drugs as physiological salt water, glucose and other infusions that are listed as war materials, because of the continuous price cutting, it is difficult to profit, resulting in some pharmaceutical companies even if they have drug certificates are unwilling to produce, resulting in oligopoly or even monopoly of the market. The problem will become more and more serious.
It is recommended to improve in the following ways:
First, we should re-examine the current pricing pattern, so that the new drug and the old drug pricing system can be decoupled. Because the situation is changing rapidly, the review and adjustment cycle can be shortened.
2. For old drugs, due to the relative cost and market supply and demand are more stable, and affect the rights and interests of many chronic diseases requiring long-term drugs, it is not appropriate to adjust prices too frequently.
Price warning mechanism should be established for essential drugs
3. If the state defines it as a necessary core drug, a price warning mechanism should be established to adjust the floor price according to quality and demand, so as to take into account the interests of patients and the reasonable profits of pharmaceutical companies, so that pharmaceutical manufacturers can stabilize supply.
Today, the number of pharmaceutical companies holding pharmaceutical certificates is not accurate to assess the toughness of drug supply. Whether it is magnesium oxide in 2022, or various kinds of transfusions in recent days, there are low drug prices, which lead to domestic manufacturers holding pharmaceutical certificates unwilling to produce, which leads to market oligopoly.
More than three pharmaceutical companies supply chronic diseases.
To avoid market oligopoly or even monopoly, for new drugs other than "new" and "old drugs", should be reported annually by pharmaceutical companies for health insurance supply, and appropriately proposed to encourage other pharmaceutical companies to increase production or import.
For holding a drug certificate but no production situation, if there is no legitimate reason for not producing for more than three consecutive years, the health insurance price shall be cancelled and the drug certificate shall be withdrawn.
For those with a relatively large market size for chronic diseases, we should ensure that more than three pharmaceutical companies supply products at the same time through counseling and other mechanisms to increase the resilience of drug supply.
The government should conduct a comprehensive review of the domestic drug supply flexibility and the health insurance drug price approval system. The urgent task is to change the current practice of sacrificing the price of old drugs to supply new drugs. Supply to further ensure the rights of the people of the country to life and health.
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The U.S. FDA now requires advance notification of supply disruptions and calls for improved manufacturing transparency.

Title:

Content: FDA gave instructions to pharmaceutical manufacturers to prevent the risk of defects
The FDA has released a draft guideline that will allow pharmaceutical manufacturers to more accurately report disruptions to the production of drugs and APIs.
In particular, it specifies who should contact the regulator in case of a failure in production and on which products it is necessary to transmit information.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued draft guidelines to pharmaceutical manufacturers to prevent the risk of flaw.
According to the instructions, they will notify the agency of changes in the manufacturing process of drugs, biological products or active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).
In the United States, FD & C. It requires manufacturers to notify the agency of interruptions in the supply of products or APIs.
The FDA ’ s new guidelines provide clarifications.
Manufacturers must submit a notice to the FDA at least six months before stopping drug production, which could lead to their shortages on the market.
If it is not possible to notify the agency six months in advance, it should be done “as soon as possible ”.
If interruptions in production may affect the supply situation, the manufacturer should assess the situation only on the basis of its capabilities.
It should not take into account the capacity of other manufacturers, the amount of product on the market or market demand.
The guidelines also state what specific product or API information manufacturers should report when informing the FDA.
CBS, citing a report from the US Senate, writes that by the end of 2022, the shortage of drugs in the US had reached a five-year peak and affected almost 300 pharmaceutical products.
This is due to the fact that the United States moved production to China, India and other countries.
According to the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, products such as sodium chloride solution, the antibiotic amoxicillin and albuterol inhalation solution are now in short supply.
Nikolay Sokolov
pharmvestnik

Encouraging Domestic Production: Some countries, like Taiwan, have supported domestic generic manufacturing to reduce dependency on external sources.

4. Strategic Stockpiling: Some hospitals and health systems pre-emptively acquire and hold larger stocks of essential medicines to buffer against anticipated shortages, but this sometimes leads to further supply inequities.

Regulatory and Financial Support:

Proposals in the U.S. include government investment to build supply chain resilience, transparency mandates, and regulatory flexibility.

China uses multi-tiered insurance and special funding for rare disease drugs to improve access and affordability .

At the individual level, especially for caregivers of patients with chronic, life-threatening conditions, several precautions and strategies are recommended.

These include keeping a buffer supply of essential medicines at home, understanding alternatives for each specific drug (formulation, dosage, or therapeutic equivalents), staying informed about ongoing or anticipated shortages through healthcare providers or pharmacy alerts, and discussing contingency plans with prescribers.

In countries with advanced notification systems or hotlines (like Taiwan), individuals can check real-time availability or ensure continuity of supply through alternative sources.

Caregivers of those reliant on rare disease therapies or essential hospital injectables should be vigilant, as these classes continue to be especially vulnerable.

Most commonly affected drug classes include antibiotics (amoxicillin, penicillins), diabetes treatments (Ozempic, Mounjaro, insulin), generics for oncology (chemotherapy), IV fluids and electrolytes, ADHD medicines, emergency drugs like adrenaline, hormonal medications (thyroid), and anesthesia drugs.

Hospital supplies, including injectable generics and certain vaccines, are particularly fragile.

Shortages may vary regionally, so local trends, pharmacy updates, and health authority guidance are crucial .

In conclusion, medication and medical supply shortages are an entrenched and growing global issue, impacting most drug classes and disproportionately affecting those with chronic or life-threatening conditions.

Causes are multifactorial, with supply chain vulnerabilities and global manufacturing imbalances at the core, compounded by economic, regulatory, and demand-related pressures.

Healthcare systems are adopting multi-tiered coping mechanisms, including alternative sourcing, improved monitoring, and domestic production incentives.

Caregivers should consult with healthcare providers to identify potential vulnerabilities regarding specific medications, develop contingency plans, and take advantage of resources such as governmental drug shortage alerts and pharmacy advice.

Further research may be needed to provide up-to-date, drug-specific shortage forecasts for your parent’s exact medications and to track ongoing local supply developments.