In the first three months of 2024, there were 323 active drug shortages reported by the University of Utah Drug Information Service, which is the highest number since 2001. The data collected by the Drug Information Service is based on reports from healthcare professionals, primarily pharmacists at hospitals and health systems. Erin Fox, the lead researcher and director of the Drug Information Service, explained that their team follows up with drug companies to confirm shortages and to determine the reasons and expected duration of the shortages.
The findings on drug shortages are published by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists on their website, ashp.org. The definition of a drug shortage used by the Drug Information Service is broader than the one used by the Food and Drug Administration, leading to larger shortage numbers from Utah compared to the FDA. For example, even if a drugstore has one version of a medication but not another, Utah researchers might consider it a shortage while the FDA might not.
The drugs that are in short supply include chemotherapy agents, antibiotics, medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and pain medications. There are also shortages of medications used in hospital crash carts, which are mobile units used during cardiac or respiratory arrest situations. The data collected by Utah researchers indicates that manufacturing issues and supply-chain difficulties are the most commonly cited reasons for drug shortages.
This article is part of The Post’s “Big Number” series, which provides a brief overview of health statistics. More information and research on this topic can be found through
