Supply chain vulnerabilities can lead to equipment and drug shortages which can result in adverse events; the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated these problems. This review explains what makes the healthcare supply chain vulnerable and suggests potential solutions.

Drug shortages can result in patient harm, such as dosing errors from a medication substitution. In this study, 28 of the 30 most frequently used medications in the emergency department experienced shortages between 2006 and 2019. The most common reasons for shortages were manufacturing delays and increased demand. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing drug shortages.

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about medical product shortages and demand surges, and the resulting effects on patient safety. This viewpoint discusses medical product supply chain vulnerabilities heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors summarize the evidence on supply chain resilience and medical product shortage, provide examples to illustrate key vulnerabilities, and discuss reactive and proactive solutions for medical product shortage.

Patients with chronic health needs, including those with cancer, and their providers face numerous challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey results from 356 health care centers across 54 countries indicate that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care is widespread. Many centers reported challenges in delivering care, reduction in services, lack of personal protective equipment, staffing shortages, and limited access to medications. Respondents also reported potential patient harm due to interruptions in cancer-specific and non-cancer care.

Drug shortages are an ongoing threat to safe patient care. This commentary discusses the impact of COVID-19 on medication supply and demand, and the resulting drug shortages. The authors provide several recommendations for reducing future drug shortages in times of crises, including increasing stockpiles and creating a critical drug list with potential substitutes.

This article discusses global drug shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on patient outcomes and the role of pharmacists and policymakers in mitigating emerging drug shortages related to the pandemic. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the supply of protective equipment, medical devices and medications. This article discusses how economics contribute to drug shortages and highlights the specific impact on access to the opioids essential for providing safe care for hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about the pharmaceutical supply chain, from overseas manufacturing to medication distribution within the United States. This commentary presents several emergency response and preparedness measures for policymakers, pharmaceutical distributors and pharmacies to prepare for drug shortages and demand surges. Suggested measures include developing an “essential medicines” strategy, using allocation strategies that prevent stockpiling and drug shortages and expanding capacity for mail-order and home delivery.

Drug shortages have become more frequent and may lead to delays in treatment or failure to deliver the appropriate drug, an error of omission. This secondary data analysis examined how oncology drug shortages affected use of chemotherapy medications among patients with newly diagnosed cancer as measured by Medicare claims data. The changes in utilization varied by medication; overall, drug shortages had only a modest impact on the delivery of these drugs to patients with newly diagnosed cancer. This finding contrasts with a prior study showing patient harm related to drug shortages, and the authors recommend further study to understand how to identify and mitigate clinically relevant drug shortages. A WebM&M commentary discussed strategies for preventing or minimizing adverse events associated with drug shortages.

Drug shortages can disrupt care processes and diminish medication safety. This commentary highlights distinct concerns associated with disruptions in access to appropriate antibiotics for pediatric patients and the lack of evidence exploring this common problem. The authors suggest strategies to address these shortages, including antibiotic stewardship and government oversight. A WebM&M commentary discussed challenges associated with medication shortages.