Is the Supply Chain Creating Critical Drug Shortages?

With the country well into the holiday season, issues with supply chains have made their way into pharmacies across the nation. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) showed that there are about 111 drugs on backorder. These include medications for heart conditions, antibiotics, and cancer drugs. Currently, there are no medications on the list that represent a large volume of active prescriptions for workers’ compensation. Regardless, delayed access to maintenance drugs for additional chronic conditions can have an impact on injured worker treatment and recovery.

An important point to note is that about 80 percent of active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturers are located outside of the U.S. According to the FDA, manufacturing and quality problems, delays and discontinuations can cause drug shortages. The backlog of cargo ships that have been sitting offshore outside of ports may be a reason for some of the current supply issues and drug shortages.

Adding to the possible supply chain disruptions in local pharmacies is the staffing issues that many pharmacies are experiencing. According to the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), a survey last month found that 60% of respondents were dealing with supply chain disruptions and 70% were struggling to fill staff positions.

For more information, visit the FDA drug shortages site.