Drug shortages risk or reality?

Background: There has been growing concern about possible drug shortages in Canada, yet we know little about the frequency and impact of shortages in community pharmacies. Objective: The objective of this survey was to determine the extent of any drug shortages in Canadian community pharmacies and the implications of these shortages for community pharmacists. Methods: Surveys and log sheets were faxed to a random sample of 1000 Canadian community pharmacists. Results: More than half of the pharmacists experienced a shortage during one shift, and 80% experienced drug shortages over a one-week period. The three main reasons given for shortages were manufacturing problems, cross-border drug trade, and raw material shortages. The drug products that were most frequently in short supply were Chronovera, Loestrin, Sodium Sulamyd eye drops, and Minestrin. Pharmacists estimated that they spent an average of 17.5 minutes each shift dealing with drug shortages. Conclusion: Most pharmacists are experiencing shortages and feel that these shortages have become more frequent over the past year. There are a variety of factors that contribute to drug shortages and, while the amount of time spent dealing with them is manageable at the present time, increases in shortages will further stress the system.