Mitigating the Impact of Drug Shortages in Oncology

Purpose/Background: Cancer drug shortages adversely affect cancer patient care and ultimately cancer patient lives. Shortages of cancer drugs used for pediatric cancer patients are well described. Methods: Review of published literature, news reports, and grey literature on cisplatin and carboplatin shortages. Results: The shortages were multifactorial-reflecting supply chain disruption, limited redundancy in manufacturing, and dependence on out-of-country sources for injectable generic oncology drugs. Discussion: This report of carboplatin and cisplatin shortages extends concerns noted earlier with pediatric oncology drug shortages. Improvements in supply chain and consideration of on-shoring manufacturing is needed.