The medication shortage poses a significant risk to patient safety by delaying necessary treatment and limiting access to vital drugs.

The US deficit of medications has reached a record level, with 323 drugs in short supply in the first quarter of 2024.

The most worrisome shortages include sterile injectable generic drugs, such as cancer chemotherapy and emergency drugs.

The five most deficient drug categories include central nervous system stimulants, antimicrobials, hormonal agents, and intravenous fluids, in addition to 32 deficient chemotherapy drugs.

The FDA reported that about 111 drugs, including digoxin injection, Dacarbazine, and some antibiotics, are out of stock in the US.

The authorities cite production and quality issues, drug problems, and production suspensions as reasons for the shortage.

The American Society of Health System Pharmacists noted the nationwide ADHD drug shortage is "a problem for clinicians and patients".

The diabetes drug Mounjaro, known as the "slimming pill", is in dire straits due to a shortage.

Hospital pharmacists are reporting a critical shortage of chemotherapy drugs and nearly universal medicine supply gaps.

Hospitals are substituting drugs and changing treatment plans due to key drug scarcity, putting patients at risk when no alternatives are available.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has proposed a strategy to address the medication shortage by allocating drugs to medical institutions and pharmacies.

The FDA disseminates drug supply and alternative information through channels like the "Drug Supply Information Platform", VPN, and weekly letters to medical institutions and pharmacies.

The lack of medication can lead to increased anxiety and stress due to uncertainty about necessary treatment.

The medication shortage can erode citizens' trust in the health system.

Medication shortages lead to additional economic costs for the health system and patients.

Healthcare systems can adopt dedicated personnel and cross-departmental cooperation to prevent medication shortages through proactive monitoring and data integration.

New technologies, like electronic medical records, have helped address healthcare challenges, including medication shortages.

Digital health technologies can improve medication shortage management by enhancing monitoring, streamlining workflows, and facilitating provider communication.

Digital health technologies' potential to address medication shortages is limited by poor infrastructure and low uptake.

The White House proposed spending $3.26 billion to $5.11 billion over the next decade to address the nation's drug shortage.

The WHO reports that 28 of 35 countries lack sufficient penicillin-type drugs, according to Lisa Hedman.

Complaints about amoxicillin shortages were reported in the US and Canada, with less information available on poorer or smaller countries.

High energy prices and a surge in respiratory infections are complicating the current situation, decreasing company profits.

The American Society of Health System Pharmacists has "serious concerns" about the proposal, particularly financial sanctions on under-resourced hospitals.

Growing demand and manufacturing problems, such as supply chain gaps and downtime, can cause drug shortages.

A factory closure in India, due to FDA-found quality issues, caused a shortage of the generic chemical drug.

Healthcare providers could have responded faster, according to Dr. Steven Schundlemeyer, director of the PRIME Institute at the University of Minnesota School of Pharmacy.

The government and Ministry of Health should implement fiscal reforms to fund medicines, reduce financial audit bureaucracy, and make timely payments as per tender terms.

Addressing drug shortages in government hospitals requires cooperation between the government, Ministry of Health, hospitals, suppliers, and patients.

The Health Minister stated that medicine shortages have increased globally over the past decade due to raw material shortages, manufacturing issues, and industry consolidations.

Medicine shortages can occur at any point in the supply chain, impacting various stakeholders and national health systems differently.

The US healthcare system faces challenges including provider shortages, access and cost concerns, and a growing burden of chronic diseases.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 exposed the need for a more robust healthcare system.

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer introduced the Medical and Health Stockpile Accountability Act to prepare for future crises and pandemics.

The act addresses PPE availability issues, including supply shortages that forced healthcare workers to use makeshift gear like bandanas and garbage bags.

In 2021, China's cardiac stent shortage was mitigated as selected enterprises met demand through organized production and supply.

The joint procurement office reported that 1.98 million stents were supplied from January to August 2021, exceeding the annual agreed procurement volume.

China's healthcare system implemented a joint procurement platform to stabilize medical consumable supplies and reduce prices.

The platform ensured a sufficient national stock supply of various stent types.

New technologies, like electronic medical records, have helped address healthcare challenges, including medication shortages.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the private sector's role and potential of digital health technologies in addressing healthcare crises.

Private providers enabled increased COVID-19 diagnostics in Nigeria in 2020, showcasing digital health technologies' potential to enhance healthcare access.

The uptake of new technologies remains low, limiting their effectiveness in addressing medication shortages.

Nigeria has over five million people living with diabetes amidst rising non-communicable disease cases and medication shortages.

Incorporating digital health into the National Policy for NCD prevention can boost access to health services in rural areas.

Digital health technologies can improve medication shortage management by enhancing monitoring, streamlining workflows, and facilitating provider communication.

Digital health technologies' potential to address medication shortages is limited by poor infrastructure and low uptake.

Healthcare systems can adopt dedicated personnel and cross-departmental cooperation to prevent medication shortages.

These policies can help detect drug shortages at an early stage.

Early detection enables early intervention to stabilize drug supply.

The FDA can disseminate drug supply and alternative information through channels like the "Drug Supply Information Platform".

The FDA notifies medical institutions, pharmacies, and associations through VPN and weekly letters.

Healthcare systems can review drug pricing policies and promote domestic generic drug production.

This approach can help address the root causes of medication shortages, including supply, manufacturing, and demand issues.

Healthcare systems can implement a single processing window with a dedicated person to handle drug purchases and contact the FDA.

Healthcare systems can minimize medication shortages by adopting these strategies.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has proposed a strategy to address the medication shortage by properly allocating drugs to medical institutions and pharmacies.

This allocation can meet the needs of clinical end-use drugs with high demand.

The medication shortage poses a significant risk to patient safety by delaying necessary treatment and limiting access to vital drugs.

Title:

Content: Lack of medicines in MOH hospitals and accumulation of indebtedness Repercussions / solutions
3 hours ago
Dr. Naeem Malkawi
The problem of shortage of medicines in Jordanian hospitals requires quick and effective attention and intervention, as providing medicines to patients is one of the foundations of quality health care and one of the most important strategies of the Ministry of Health, however, the shortage of medicines in many hospitals leads to health, economic and social challenges that threaten the quality of health care and patient safety.
The budget of the Ministry of Health of medicines, vaccines, vaccines and medical consumables for this year 2023 was estimated at 103.75 million dinars, where the actual for the past year 2022 was 93.8 million dinars.
The question is, how did the Ministry of Health accumulate such a large indebtedness in the item of medicines to reach 300 million dinars for pharmaceutical companies?
And why last week was the debt of 2019 cleared and deducted estimated at 50% of the debt for that year?
This means that there is still a delay in the payment of dues for companies for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 in addition to eight months of the current year 2023, and this brings us to a range of reasons and challenges:
1.
The aim of the Ministry of Health was to reduce the bureaucracy of procedures and overcome the complexity of procurement references in hospitals and health directorates in the governorates and not to obtain price and discount preferences, but the results indicate a defect in the management and mechanism of dealing with the strategy of unified and central procurement, despite the margin for hospital administrations to use the power of direct purchase in cases of necessity.
2.
Preparation of sub-budgets for hospitals: Evidence shows that there is a problem in the preparation of sub-budgets for hospitals and the main budget of the Ministry of Health with regard to the item of medicines, which is due to the lack of accurate and sufficient data on the number of patients and hospital needs of medicines, and the lack of accurate forecasting of future needs.
3.
Delays in the review of financial claims and invoices between the Ministry of Health and the hospitals on the one hand and the pharmaceutical companies on the other hand, is one of the most important reasons behind the accumulation of indebtedness, and this negatively affects the liquidity of the pharmaceutical companies and hinders them from providing a sustainable service in adhering to the procedures of supplying medicines according to schedule.
4.
Lack of coordination and communication: There may be a lack of coordination and communication between hospitals, the Ministry of Health and pharmaceutical companies, which complicates the supply and distribution of medicines and increases the chances of delays and the depletion of medicines from hospitals in the absence of an effective policy for stock management and the time required for stock adequacy.
5.
Focusing on the trade names of certain drugs from specific production sources and not adopting the protocol of writing the scientific name for the prescriptions of patients.
6.
One of the reasons that may be major and important at the same time is the funding aspect and the lack of the necessary allocations or use them in other aspects other than medicines to fill a deficit or emergency during the use of budget items due to the scarcity of available liquidity. Medication.
Lack of medication can lead to:
1.
Threat to patient safety: Lack of medication puts sick people at risk, as this can lead to delays in receiving necessary treatment or the unavailability of vital drugs, putting their lives at risk.
2.
Economic Implications: The lack of medicines entails additional economic costs for the health system and patients.
Medical cases may be referred to other medical centers or private hospitals, increasing pressure on other MOH budget items.
3.
Pressure on health care workers: Health care workers are under pressure as a result of dealing with patients affected by drug shortages and repeatedly facing their inquiries and complaints.
4.
Social repercussions:
Increased anxiety and stress: A lack of medication can lead to an increase in anxiety and stress among patients and their families, as they live in uncertainty about the availability of the necessary treatment.
Lack of medication can affect the level of trust in the health system among citizens, who may feel that the system is unable to provide them with adequate health care.
Increased costs and social burdens: Some patients may have to incur additional costs to obtain drugs from other sources outside hospitals, affecting their financial and economic status.
After all this narrative there must be ways to overcome these dilemmas:
1.
Preparation of budgets scientifically and professionally: Hospitals should develop more accurate standards for the preparation of sub-budgets for medicines, through the analysis of previous data, estimation of future needs and other scientific and methodological foundations in the preparation of budgets and commitment to apply them accurately.
2.
Improve coordination and communication between parties: Coordination between the Ministry of Health, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies should be strengthened through the establishment of structured mechanisms for information exchange, review of invoices, and completion of claims, and not delay them.
3.
Implementation of fiscal reforms: The Government and the Ministry of Health should implement fiscal reforms that provide funding to cover this important item and pay dues in a timely manner, reduce bureaucracy in the financial audit process, and proceed with payment procedures within the timetable mechanism agreed in the tender terms.
4.
Achieving social responsibility: The government and pharmaceutical companies should adopt a social responsibility towards patients by providing these drugs and reducing their prices in the market to make them more accessible to patients while relieving part of the pressure and burden on hospitals.
Addressing the problem of drug shortages in government hospitals requires comprehensive cooperation between all concerned parties from government, Ministry of Health, hospitals, drug suppliers and patients.
To provide medicines on a permanent basis and to ensure the provision of high quality health care to the Jordanian patient.

The US deficit of medications has reached a record level, with 323 drugs in short supply in the first quarter of 2024.

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

The most worrisome shortages include sterile injectable generic drugs, such as cancer chemotherapy and emergency drugs.

The five most deficient drug categories include central nervous system stimulants, antimicrobials, hormonal agents, and intravenous fluids, in addition to 32 deficient chemotherapy drugs.

The FDA reported that about 111 drugs, including digoxin injection, Dacarbazine, and some antibiotics, are out of stock in the US.

Title:

Content: US supply chain crisis continues, FDA points to 111 drug shortages
Global Social Hotspot 16: 35 2021 / 12 / 05
Share:
The supply chain crisis in the United States continues, and many goods are facing shortages.
The US media said that the US pharmacies have a number of critical prescription drugs in stock. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pointed out that about 111 drugs are out of stock in the United States. The FDA stressed that it will continue to take measures to monitor the supply chain.
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The Federal Reserve warned on Wednesday that large parts of the United States had begun to be affected by supply chain disruptions and labor shortages last month.
According to the FDA website, 111 drugs are out of stock in the United States, including the heart disease drug digoxin injection, the chemical drug Dacarbazine and some antibiotics.
The authorities say there are many reasons for the shortage, including production problems, quality problems, drugs and even the suspension of production.
According to the FDA, about 80% of the manufacturers of active pharmaceutical ingredients are located overseas, and the manufacturers have provided the FDA with most of the drug shortage information.
The Administration will also work closely with these manufacturers to address the drug shortage.
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Long Island Newspaper Newsday quoted Tom D'Angelo, president of the New York State Association of Pharmacists, as saying the shipping of a large number of medicines, including those for common blood pressure and for the treatment of colds and flu, was blocked.
Because of supply chain problems, the owner of a New York drugstore said there were fewer brands for some drugs, including Ibuprofen.
The National Association of Community Pharmacists (NCPA) released a survey last month that found that most non-chain pharmacies are struggling to fill employee vacancies and cope with supply chain disruptions.
Sixty percent of pharmacies surveyed said they were dealing with supply chain disruptions, and nearly 70 percent said it was difficult to fill staff vacancies.
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The authorities cite production and quality issues, drug problems, and production suspensions as reasons for the shortage.

The American Society of Health System Pharmacists noted the nationwide ADHD drug shortage is "a problem for clinicians and patients".

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. ”

The diabetes drug Mounjaro, known as the "slimming pill", is in dire straits due to a shortage.

Hospital pharmacists are reporting a critical shortage of chemotherapy drugs and nearly universal medicine supply gaps.

Title:

Content: As drug shortage list grows, many hospitals face tough decisions on rationing care

More than half of hospital pharmacists are reporting a critical shortage of chemotherapy drugs and nearly all are reporting overall medicine supply gaps as prescription drug shortages near an all time high, according to a new survey.

Hospital pharmacists said drug shortages have forced 1 in 3 health systems to delay, cancel or ration care or switch to alternate drugs to continue to treat patients. And 99% are reporting some drug supply shortages, an American Society of Health-System Pharmacists survey of more than 1,000 pharmacists released Thursday found.

The organization reported shortages of 309 drugs, near the all-time high of 320 shortages in 2014. The scarcity of key drugs is prompting hospitals to find or substitute drugs and change treatment plans as needed.

“In some cases, there are no alternatives to the affected drugs, which puts patients at risk," ASHP Chief Executive Officer Paul W. Abramowitz said in a statement. "This issue requires quick action from Congress to address the underlying causes of shortages and ensure patients have the medications they need.”

Cancer drug shortages

In June, the Food and Drug Administration said it will temporarily allow overseas drug manufacturers to import some chemotherapy drugs.

The FDA allowed Qilu Pharmaceutical, a drug manufacturer in China, to import the injectable chemotherapy drug cisplatin in 50-milligram vials. Toronto pharmaceutical company Apotex Corp. will distribute the medication in the United States.

More than a dozen cancer drugs have been in shortage in recent months, including cisplatin and carboplatin, used to treat lung, breast, prostate and gynecologic cancers. The National Cancer Institute said cisplatin and similar drugs are prescribed for 10% to 20% of all cancer patients.

In June, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network released a survey of 27 academic cancer centers that found 93% reported shortages of carboplatin and 70% faced shortages of cisplatin.

When cancer hospitals face such shortages, they attempt to make sure there's enough medication for patients to finish the course of treatment, said Mike Ganio, ASHP's senior director of pharmacy practice and quality.

Cancer hospitals facing such shortages might change medications for new patients starting on chemotherapy, said Ganio, a former pharmacy manager at an academic cancer center.

"You try to keep that patient on the same regimen as much as you can, unless they're failing it for some reason, and then you would switch," Ganio said.

Steroids, hormonal drugs also in short supply

More than 1 in 5 hospital pharmacists also reported shortages for steroids, hormonal drugs and oral liquids such as lidocaine, ibuprofen and amoxicillin.

A smaller number of pharmacists said heart medications, emergency prefilled syringes and drugs used for intensive care unit patients were in short supply. Others reported shortages of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medicines, antimicrobial drugs and injectable opioids.

In all, about two-thirds of pharmacists said the shortages were "moderately impactful," which means they are managing shortages but patients are affected.

Pharmacists are managing the shortages by offering therapeutic alternatives, buying different vial sizes or concentrations and rationing medicines.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Survey: Drug shortages are widespread, hospitals ration care

Hospitals are substituting drugs and changing treatment plans due to key drug scarcity, putting patients at risk when no alternatives are available.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has proposed a strategy to address the medication shortage by allocating drugs to medical institutions and pharmacies.

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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The FDA disseminates drug supply and alternative information through channels like the "Drug Supply Information Platform", VPN, and weekly letters to medical institutions and pharmacies.

The lack of medication can lead to increased anxiety and stress due to uncertainty about necessary treatment.

The medication shortage can erode citizens' trust in the health system.

Medication shortages lead to additional economic costs for the health system and patients.

Healthcare systems can adopt dedicated personnel and cross-departmental cooperation to prevent medication shortages through proactive monitoring and data integration.

New technologies, like electronic medical records, have helped address healthcare challenges, including medication shortages.

New technologies, like electronic medical records, have helped address healthcare challenges, including medication shortages.

New technologies, like electronic medical records, have helped address healthcare challenges, including medication shortages.

Digital health technologies can improve medication shortage management by enhancing monitoring, streamlining workflows, and facilitating provider communication.

Digital health technologies' potential to address medication shortages is limited by poor infrastructure and low uptake.

Digital health technologies' potential to address medication shortages is limited by poor infrastructure and low uptake.

Digital health technologies' potential to address medication shortages is limited by poor infrastructure and low uptake.

The White House proposed spending $3.26 billion to $5.11 billion over the next decade to address the nation's drug shortage.

The WHO reports that 28 of 35 countries lack sufficient penicillin-type drugs, according to Lisa Hedman.

Title:

Content: Experts have recorded a shortage of antibiotics in the world due to the increase in the number of infectious diseases.
On December 21, writes the Financial Times with reference to the head of the group of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the supply of medicines and ensuring access to them Lisa Hedman, reports Day.Az.
Twenty-eight of the 35 countries for which WHO collects data are deficient in penicillin-type drugs.
In the United States and Canada complained about the lack of amoxicillin.
Less is known about the situation in poor or small countries, according to Hedman.
It is noted that in addition to the difficulties experienced by pharmaceutical manufacturers in the pandemic, the current situation is complicated by high energy prices, and this leads to a decrease in profits of companies.
In addition, countries, according to Hedman, did not expect that in the first year without masks, respiratory infections would hit the population so hard.
In addition to antibiotics, pharmacists also complain about the lack of painkillers, drugs for tuberculosis and drugs for skin infections.

Complaints about amoxicillin shortages were reported in the US and Canada, with less information available on poorer or smaller countries.

High energy prices and a surge in respiratory infections are complicating the current situation, decreasing company profits.

The American Society of Health System Pharmacists has "serious concerns" about the proposal, particularly financial sanctions on under-resourced hospitals.

Growing demand and manufacturing problems, such as supply chain gaps and downtime, can cause drug shortages.

A factory closure in India, due to FDA-found quality issues, caused a shortage of the generic chemical drug.

Healthcare providers could have responded faster, according to Dr. Steven Schundlemeyer, director of the PRIME Institute at the University of Minnesota School of Pharmacy.

The government and Ministry of Health should implement fiscal reforms to fund medicines, reduce financial audit bureaucracy, and make timely payments as per tender terms.

Addressing drug shortages in government hospitals requires cooperation between the government, Ministry of Health, hospitals, suppliers, and patients.

The Health Minister stated that medicine shortages have increased globally over the past decade due to raw material shortages, manufacturing issues, and industry consolidations.

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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Medicine shortages can occur at any point in the supply chain, impacting various stakeholders and national health systems differently.

The US healthcare system faces challenges including provider shortages, access and cost concerns, and a growing burden of chronic diseases.

Title:

Content: Acting Now To Sustain And Improve America's Healthcare System: Advice From Innovative Physicians And Health System Leaders

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At last week's America's Physician Groups Spring conference in San Diego, California, we listened as physicians and health system leaders described the ways...
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At last week's America's Physician Groups Spring conference in San Diego, California, we listened as physicians and health system leaders described the ways in which they are responding to short and long term challenges to the sustainability of America's healthcare system in its current form. It now stands at a critical juncture, facing challenges such as provider shortages and burnout, increasing concerns around access and cost for pharmaceutical products and other supplies, the increasing burden of managing chronic diseases, rising demand for services across the spectrum from an aging population, and balancing the transition to value-based care models in a predominantly fee-for-service environment.

There was a sense of sobriety among the participants about the frailty of the healthcare system now, particularly in light of the increasing importance of maintaining cybersecurity defenses and ensuring continued availability of pharmaceutical and other medical products in a more tenuous global geopolitical moment, all while combating rising costs and workforce shortages. However, nearly every speaker balanced their concerns with a real sense of opportunity and hope that if we are forced to think in new ways to solve the industry's challenges, we will create innovative solutions that can be adopted and scaled by others in order to create a more sustainable and equitable healthcare system.

Here, we outline the key areas of focus described by leaders at the conference:

Addressing Patient Experience and Expanding Clinical Capabilities with AI Tools

We prepared a separate blog post delving into the substantial discussions around AI tools and their applications from the perspective of patients and caregivers, and with a focus on particular leverage for these applications in value-based care. Providers explained that with ambient listening technologies, clinical decision support tools, remote patient monitoring, targeted identification of patients for preventative care services (like expedited mammograms), asynchronous communications, and collaborative opportunities with clinical social workers to solve for health-related social needs, they are making strides in these areas. As we describe in that article, the group's enthusiasm around AI's capabilities was tempered by the still-developing nature of technology and the ethical/legal concerns that impact its deployment in clinical settings.

Investing in Physician Leadership Training to Support Retention and Quality Improvement

One of the most striking presentations on innovation did not involve AI. Instead, a California federally qualified health center (FQHC) described how its relatively modest efforts to invest in physician leadership development had a hugely positive impact on physician morale, leadership pipeline, retention rates, and overall culture. Specifically, the FQHC reported that the role of local medical directors in its organization had a turnover rate as high as 30% before it adopted this new leadership training program. Those roles now have a retention rate of 100%, and they gave significant insight into their approach.

First, the FQHC identified its goals of fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility among physicians for the organization's quality and care outcomes, creating psychological safety and trust among its physician leaders, and building a sense of camaraderie among all employees. Second, the FQHC applied for and received grant funding to hire outside professional advisors on clinical leadership development. Third, they established a unified training framework and required that all local medical directors participate in the related physician leadership learning activities.

With monthly meetings in which physicians had a few hours of protected time for learning about self-development, clinical leadership, conflict resolution, team-building and related concepts, as well as peer-to-peer networking, the organization created a total cultural shift among physician leaders that has spread to other employees. Physicians reported more comfort in reaching out to colleagues for help, collaborating on issues, a stronger sense of ownership for outcomes, and better competency in managing and resolving conflicts in a team-based care environment. Further, the organization reported that these efforts have had a positive impact on its transition further into value-based care models. With additional training, medical directors have been able to communicate change management processes more effectively and expand buy-in for new strategies and action planning across the team. Finally, the organization reported that they have seen improvements in patient satisfaction scores since implementing the new training program.

Restructuring Physician-Led Teams for Success in Value-Based Care

Speakers at APG focused on the need to support providers in adopting value-based care models and focus on preventative, holistic care that supports all facets of a patient's healthcare needs, improves quality, and reduces the total cost of care. In moving into a value-based model with prepayment elements, providers reported a sense of security and flexibility in caring for patients with a proactive approach when compared to traditional fee-for-service. To support this transition, organizations identified elements of the physician workload that can be safely and appropriately transitioned to others in a team-based care model. For example, care navigators/coordinators, social workers, pharmacists, nurses, and other community health workers may be better positioned to help patients navigate issues impacting their health, including assisting with preventative care appointments, care escalation/navigation, social determinants of health (including transportation support and food, job, and housing security), medication reconciliation/pharmacy access, insurance questions, and so on.

In moving into this model, physician-led teams can rethink their clinic scheduling processes, and focus on identifying high-risk patients with real time data to ensure access and attention is prioritized early for those who need it most. Non-physician staff can add substantial value in coordinating complicated care or social needs and ensuring access to new products and services, like chronic disease management or post-acute care programming. In case studies reported at the conference, addressing social determinants of health needs allowed some organizations to achieve significant reductions in emergency department, inpatient and post-acute care utilization, saving millions.

In support of the transition to team-based care, speakers highlighted the need for robust clinical and non-clinical employee education on the organization's quality and outcomes goals and why change management processes for staffing and workflows mattered and how they would impact the big-picture strategy. They also noted that for all employees involved in value-based care, they were able to achieve provider alignment and reward positive behavioral changes with meaningful financial incentives that were based on the organization's quality and performance goals.

Conclusion

The healthcare industry's future hinges on its ability to innovate in the face of growing challenges. By embracing technology, focusing on sustainability, and fostering partnerships, leaders in the field are paving the way for a healthcare system that is not only more efficient and accessible but also more responsive to the evolving needs of patients and providers alike.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 exposed the need for a more robust healthcare system.

Title:

Content: When the pandemic began almost two years ago and COVID cases suddenly started rising, everybody was scrambling for masks, gloves, gowns, ventilators and other life-saving equipment.

A New Jersey congressman is trying to make sure that never happens again.

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, N.J. 5th District, has introduced the Medical and Health Stockpile Accountability Act to try and ensure the Garden State and the entire country is better prepared for future crises and pandemics.

PPE confusion

He said at the beginning of the COVID crisis, hospitals were flooded with coronavirus patients and “our excellent front-line workers, our health care workers were stuck wearing bandanas, or using garbage bags as gowns in hospitals. We just didn’t have the supplies.”

Gottheimer said months later, “it turns out we actually had PPE and ventilators in Kansas and Arkansas at the time when we got hit first and we had nothing.”

He said his legislation is about “making sure that the Strategic National Stockpile has what it needs, that we keep a close eye on it so we have an automated supply chain tracking system.”

He said this would ensure we have “a near real-time insight onto what’s going on what’s where, where are the prescription drugs that we need, where are the ventilators that we need, how many do we have in the stockpile that we have, are they working.”

What we need

The Act would establish an automated supply-chain tracking application within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide almost instant insight into the amount of critical medical and health supplies available in the Strategic National Stockpile and in the medical and health inventories of local and private entities like hospitals, manufacturers, and distributors around the country.

It would also establish clear guidelines and practices for data access and use of the new supply-chain tracking applications, eliminate manual reporting burden and errors by automating data feeds from health care entities to a centralized system, and assist state, local, and private health care entities, such as community hospitals, that do not have an automated vendor management system to keep track of what is available where.

Preparation is key

Gottheimer said we need to learn from this pandemic so we don’t find ourselves in a similar kind of crisis at some point in the future. He said upgrading the system would be helpful.

Efforts are also underway in Congress to pass bills that expand the distribution of high-quality masks, gowns and other PPE in the United States, to lessen our dependence on other countries, especially China, in securing these essential items.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, N.J. 12th District, is co-sponsoring the Masks for All Act, which calls for the government to hand out a package of three N95 masks to everyone in the United States.

You can contact reporter David Matthau at David.Matthau@townsquaremedia.com.

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U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer introduced the Medical and Health Stockpile Accountability Act to prepare for future crises and pandemics.

The act addresses PPE availability issues, including supply shortages that forced healthcare workers to use makeshift gear like bandanas and garbage bags.

In 2021, China's cardiac stent shortage was mitigated as selected enterprises met demand through organized production and supply.

Title:

Content: Health · Life
Joint procurement response to the shortage of cardiac stents: sufficient supply of selected products Temporary shortage of individual models to pay attention to
September 08, 2021 08: 48 Source: People 's Daily Online
People's Daily Beijing, September 8 (Reporter Cui Yuanyuan) In response to recent media reports on the shortage of selected stents after the collection of coronary stents by the national organization, in order to enable the public to understand the actual situation, a few days ago, the national organization of high-value medical consumables joint procurement office (hereinafter referred to as the joint procurement) responded that since the implementation of the national organization coronary stent collection results, the overall progress has been stable, the price significantly reduced.
On the whole, the selected enterprises carefully organize production and supply according to the demand of medical institutions, and the overall supply of various types of supports is greater than the purchase demand.
Overall supply is greater than procurement needs
From January to August, medical institutions used 1.1 million selected products (all chromium alloy stents), an increase of 54% compared with the same period last year (710,000), and the total amount of use has exceeded the national annual agreed procurement volume (1.07 million).
The factory supply situation is generally good. From January to August, the selected enterprises have supplied 1.98 million selected stents from the factory, which is more than 1.8 times the annual agreed procurement volume, which is 1.8 times the actual use of hospitals.
After deducting the use of medical institutions, the factory supply reached 880,000 units, including circulation and inventory, and the supply was sufficient.
From the national point of view, all kinds of bracket are in stock.
Before and after the collection, the use of various length and diameter specifications and the factory supply structure are basically consistent with 2020.
The patient ’ s personal expenses can be reduced by thousands
The joint procurement office said that the collection of coronary stents is the first single collection of high-value medical consumables organized by the state, and the reform has achieved remarkable results.
It is obvious that the people benefit.
The price of selected products in the collection and mining of coronary stents has decreased significantly, and the burden on the masses has decreased significantly.
According to estimates in Beijing, the average personal burden of patients receiving stent implantation decreased by 10,000 yuan.
At the same time, many people who could not afford the support and chromium alloy support also used the "high-quality and affordable" chromium alloy support.
The second is the increase in doctor's income.
After the collection of coronary stents, some provinces with low standard of the original coronary stent implantation surgery raised the charging standards, superimposed medical insurance payment balance retention, payment mode reform and other mechanisms, and the medical staff in the relevant departments increased their sunshine income under the condition of stable workload, which also helped to straighten out the compensation mechanism of public hospitals.
The third is to optimize the industrial development environment.
Concentrated procurement effectively solves the problem of inflated prices, purifies circulation links, and optimizes the business environment.
A total of 11 enterprises participated in the bidding, and eight enterprises were selected, gaining 80% of the market share, improving industrial concentration, while leaving enough market space for unselected enterprises and new entrants to the market.
Problems such as temporary shortage of individual models need attention
"Because the centralized procurement has changed the original circulation mode, it is necessary for all parties to strengthen cooperation in production, distribution and use, to adapt to the new mechanism, and some problems have also been exposed in the running-in process."
The association points out.
First, production, distribution and use of the changes to the collection mode is still in the running-in.
The high price of the bracket before collection and mining supports the delivery enterprises to provide "on call", at any time replenishment and gift of the "Baom-type" service.
After the collection and extrusion of gray costs in circulation, manufacturers, distribution enterprises and hospitals return to normal and equal purchasing and marketing relations.
The new mechanism requires distribution enterprises to use modern logistics and information technology to improve the efficiency and accuracy of supply, and also requires hospitals to strengthen the fine management of hospital supplies for stocking, use, inventory, replenishment and other links.
At present, the connection of the relevant parties in the supply chain is still adapting to each other, which also makes the temporary shortage of individual models of supports.
Second, the use of high-priced drug balloons in some hospitals has grown rapidly.
Monitoring found that after the price of the coronary stent was reduced, although the total use of the drug balloon was not large, the growth rate was fast, which was a reasonable increase in clinical development, but considering that the drug balloon price was about 20,000 yuan, it did not rule out other abnormal factors.
In this regard, the joint procurement office said that the next step will be to coordinate with the parties to take targeted measures.
First, further strengthen the production and distribution capabilities of selected products.
The joint procurement office will closely monitor the procurement, distribution and use of the selected products in conjunction with the provincial procurement agencies, requiring the selected enterprises to strictly comply with the requirements, adjust production capacity to meet the demand, and compress the selected enterprises' supply and distribution responsibilities.
The second is to promote medical institutions to improve the level of internal management refinement.
Together with relevant departments, we will guide medical institutions to strengthen capacity building in procurement and inventory management, and improve the efficiency of information transmission and procurement operation.
The third is to regulate the use of drug capsules.
Work with relevant departments to standardize the use of drug sacculus, promote local drug sacculus collection, strengthen supervision of medical institutions with abnormal growth of drug sacculus, and contact for interviews if necessary.
(Editor: Cui Yuanyuan, Lu Qian)
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The joint procurement office reported that 1.98 million stents were supplied from January to August 2021, exceeding the annual agreed procurement volume.

China's healthcare system implemented a joint procurement platform to stabilize medical consumable supplies and reduce prices.

The platform ensured a sufficient national stock supply of various stent types.

New technologies, like electronic medical records, have helped address healthcare challenges, including medication shortages.

New technologies, like electronic medical records, have helped address healthcare challenges, including medication shortages.

New technologies, like electronic medical records, have helped address healthcare challenges, including medication shortages.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the private sector's role and potential of digital health technologies in addressing healthcare crises.

Title:

Content: Nigeria: The Need for Urgent Digital Disruption in Healthcare

Telemedicine, when appropriately applied, can help address the perennial human resource shortage facing Nigeria’s health system.
Blog

As countries undergo a demographic and epidemiological transition, the healthcare demands of the citizen change. These transitions are triggered by improvements in public health and medicine which has meant that some countries have an increasingly ageing population, as children are surviving into adulthood (thanks to improvements in public health). The epidemiological transition has seen a shift in the pattern of diseases from a high burden of infectious diseases to more degenerative non-communicable diseases. Nigeria faces a double burden of disease comprising protracted infectious diseases like HIV, Cholera and a rising number of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and hypertension.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted access to healthcare services and healthcare delivery, highlighting the importance of digital innovation in healthcare. Globally, health systems worked to limit the spread of the pandemic and mitigate the economic and health impacts. They also scrambled to ensure that access to other healthcare services was not disrupted, and this triggered greater demand for digital health solutions.

Innovations in healthcare

The internet has democratised access to information, and the health tech industry is a fast-growing market worldwide. The health sector in Nigeria is seeing very gradual disruption in digital innovations, however not at the same pace as telecommunications or financial technology. The growth in innovations in the digital health industry can be seen by the recent success of DrugStoc, as the eHealth pharmaceutical distribution start-up was able to secure $4.4 million in Series A funding. Other examples include LifeBank, a blood products company founded by Temi Giwa-Tubosun, the pacesetting female founder. Her organisation has successfully secured funding from multiple investors and in 2021 launched the oxygen plant AirCo.

Currently, digital health exists in various categories, namely mhealth, telehealth, consumer health and wellness, wearables, electronic medical records (EMR), diagnostics, and provider tools. Technologies such as electronic medical records have been in existence for a while and an increasing number of hospitals in Nigeria can boast of functional electronic medical records. Globally, a growing trend of innovation in digital health is related to consumer health and wellness and, more recently, telehealth and mobile health. Telehealth, a technology-enabled remote healthcare service, is forecast to be a game-changer in digital health by 2025.

In 2018, the World Health Organisation estimated that there are 3.81 doctors per 10,000 population in Nigeria. This is more worrisome when extended to specialist doctors; for instance, there are only 250 practising psychiatrists in Nigeria. Telemedicine, when appropriately applied, can help address the perennial human resource shortage facing Nigeria's health system.

Where telecoms exist, digital health thrives

Nigeria has a lot of potential and a massive opportunity for innovative disruptions that will help to improve its health outcomes. Digital health thrives on the availability of telecommunication and internet services and digital access will have an increasing impact on health and wellbeing outcomes. The Lancet and Financial Times Commission called for digital technologies to be recognised as a key determinant of health. According to the Nigeria Communications Commission, there were about 195 million active mobile (GSM) users in Nigeria in December 2021, implying that a growing proportion of the adult population has access to mobile phones. Also, mobile internet users are projected to reach 59.7% by 2026. Phone penetration and internet access are essential springboards for revolutionising digital health innovations in Nigeria.

However, the uptake of digital health in Nigeria's public sector remains generally low. Before the pandemic, digital health was restricted to providing clinical and administrative tools for healthcare professionals and providers. Following the surge in COVID-19 cases, the restrictions and lockdowns led to an acceleration of digital trends and virtual health consultations for patients, especially those on routine health visits and those with non-emergency conditions, which enabled a continuum of care. This growth portends a bright future for digital health in Nigeria.

Consumerism is becoming a widespread phenomenon across every industry, and the healthcare industry is not an exception. In today's digital era, patients are better informed, and they use the internet, social media, and other technological sources to get more information on their own. Digital innovation has enabled patients to have up-to-date health information, empowering them to demand better access to health services, based on a more informed understanding of improving health and wellbeing.

Boosting digital health through public and private sector involvement

The private sector is a leading provider of healthcare in Nigeria, supporting the efforts of the government. With the private sector accounting for a larger share of healthcare in Nigeria -- over 62% -- it has enabled the greater introduction of new technologies into the healthcare industry, such as electronic medical records and other e-health tools. The role of the private sector in health technology deployment was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. The increased availability of COVID-19 diagnostics at the onset of the pandemic in 2020, in Nigeria, was enabled by private providers such as 54gene and Flying Doctors. However, the rate of uptake of new technologies is still low compared to the rising health needs of the population.

Nigeria is currently dealing with rising cases of NCDs. It is estimated that over five million Nigerians are living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. There is a National Policy for NCD prevention and control and incorporating digital health into this policy can help boost access to health services, especially in treating and preventing NCDs, in rural and hard-to-reach areas.

Nigeria's health system is faced with a range of challenges, including but not limited to poor health infrastructure and inadequate health workers, harnessing the enormous opportunities for digital disruptions could help overcome some of these challenges. If enabled to thrive, technological disruption in healthcare will provide a more efficient and cost-effective service delivery that is urgently needed in Nigeria's health system.

Mike Adeyemi Lawal is a medical doctor, Health coordinator and Global health advocate.

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Private providers enabled increased COVID-19 diagnostics in Nigeria in 2020, showcasing digital health technologies' potential to enhance healthcare access.

The uptake of new technologies remains low, limiting their effectiveness in addressing medication shortages.

Nigeria has over five million people living with diabetes amidst rising non-communicable disease cases and medication shortages.

Incorporating digital health into the National Policy for NCD prevention can boost access to health services in rural areas.

Digital health technologies can improve medication shortage management by enhancing monitoring, streamlining workflows, and facilitating provider communication.

Digital health technologies' potential to address medication shortages is limited by poor infrastructure and low uptake.

Digital health technologies' potential to address medication shortages is limited by poor infrastructure and low uptake.

Digital health technologies' potential to address medication shortages is limited by poor infrastructure and low uptake.

Healthcare systems can adopt dedicated personnel and cross-departmental cooperation to prevent medication shortages.

These policies can help detect drug shortages at an early stage.

Early detection enables early intervention to stabilize drug supply.

The FDA can disseminate drug supply and alternative information through channels like the "Drug Supply Information Platform".

The FDA notifies medical institutions, pharmacies, and associations through VPN and weekly letters.

Healthcare systems can review drug pricing policies and promote domestic generic drug production.

This approach can help address the root causes of medication shortages, including supply, manufacturing, and demand issues.

Healthcare systems can implement a single processing window with a dedicated person to handle drug purchases and contact the FDA.

Healthcare systems can minimize medication shortages by adopting these strategies.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has proposed a strategy to address the medication shortage by properly allocating drugs to medical institutions and pharmacies.

This allocation can meet the needs of clinical end-use drugs with high demand.