Why we’re here
Drug shortages threaten our families, friends, and neighbors by disrupting access to the medicines they need. Americans deserve urgent, comprehensive action from policymakers to address and prevent drug shortages.
The Drug Shortage Task Force convenes over 20 organizations representing patients, providers and health systems, and public health groups who face the harms of this systemic crisis. We aim to raise awareness of the severe harms of shortages and the causes behind them, provide insights to inform data-driven solutions, and advocate for reforms in a collaborative and productive manner.
Costs measured in lives, not just dollars
Shortages of critical medicines continue to plague our health care system and threaten access to life-sustaining treatments.
- 1 in every 10 cancer patients reported impacts to care – a majority of whom have had difficulties finding substitute medications (68%) and cited treatment delays (45%).
- Estimates project up to 500,000 cancer patients were impacted by the shortage of two critical cancer drugs, carboplatin and cisplatin, in 2023-2024.
- Drug shortages add at least $894 million annually in additional labor costs to hospitals:
- The workload required to manage shortages, including work to change pharmacy automation and electronic health records, adds to the challenges of pharmacy staff shortages. Providers reported a 6-10% annual budget increase due to drug shortages.
- Acquiring alternative therapies adds an estimated $200 million annually to hospital and health system spending:
- The prices of generic medicines have fallen by more than 35% in real dollars since 2019 in the United States.
- In 2018, it took eight brand-name drugs to equal the total size of the generics market. By 2023, it only took two.
We need systemic solutions today
Our Task Force members know firsthand that drug shortages will not go away on their own. Without comprehensive action, shortages will continue to plague patients, practitioners, and health systems throughout the United States.
Structural problems need data-driven, root-cause solutions. The path to a more effective and resilient healthcare system starts here:
Coordinate Resilience
Medicines supply chain resilience and reliability activities should be coordinated among federal agencies and nongovernmental stakeholders.
Increase Visibility
A critical need exists to invest in early warning capabilities that signal threats to and vulnerabilities within the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Establish a Vulnerable Medicines List
A vulnerable drugs list should be continually updated to reflect conditions that may increase the likelihood that a particular medicine could go into shortage.
Incentivize Efficiency
Policymakers and public and private drug purchasers should establish and utilize payment and purchasing models that value and incentivize supply chain quality, resilience, and reserves for drugs vulnerable to shortages.
Bolster Capacity
Policymakers should consider a range of reforms to foster more security in the manufacturing base for U.S. drug products to reduce the risk of disruptions and shortages.
Research Market Interactions
Policymakers should consider a range of reforms to foster more security in the manufacturing base for U.S. drug products to reduce the risk of disruptions and shortages.
The market for lower-priced drugs should align supply and demand forces to create a predictable, sustainable, and high-quality supply chain that can reliably provide critical medicines where they are needed.
Only by addressing both the short-term and long-term aspects of this issue will we be able to minimize impacts of the ongoing drug shortage crisis.
Drug shortages in our communities
ACS CAN
Survivor Views: One in Ten Impacted by Recent Drug Shortages
Angels for Change
Shortage Stories Video
ASCO
Solving Decades of Drug Shortages in Oncology
USP
U.S. drug shortages reach decade-high and last longer
ASHP
Current Drug Shortages
American Medical Association
“Combating drug shortages requires multifaceted approach”
