ASHP guidelines on managing drug product shortages

Drug product shortages can adversely affect drug therapy, compromise or delay medical procedures, result in medication errors, and cause patient harm.1–38 In addition to these potential problems, healthcare professionals are also increasingly concerned about the tremendous resources required to address shortages, estimated at $209 million in 2013 for the purchase of more-expensive substitutes alone, which excludes other significant costs (e.g., drugs purchased “off contract,” therapeutic alternatives, added labor).39,40 Drug product shortages adversely affect healthcare organization finances by increasing the cost of delivering patient care, largely through the personnel costs required to manage the multiple pharmacy automation systems and electronic medical record changes that must be adjusted in the face of a drug shortage.40 In addition, shortages create high levels of frustration and stress for everyone involved, including purchasing agents, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, nurses, physicians, and patients.15,41,42 Pharmacy leaders need to educate all members of the healthcare team as well as organizational leadership about the complex and challenging nature of the drug shortage problem as well as what is being done to manage shortages.