The number of ongoing drug shortages has decreased since early 2024, but some fundamental and life-saving therapies remain in short supply.
Here are four things to know, according to a recent American Society of Health-System Pharmacists report:
1. In the second quarter of 2024, the ASHP recorded 300 ongoing shortages. The former quarter noted 323 active shortages — an all-time high since the organization began tracking drug supply. There have been slight improvements in all medication classes.
2. Rho(D) immune globulin, chemotherapies, pain and sedation medications, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medications are critical treatments in scarcity.
3. Twelve percent of ongoing shortages are controlled substances. The Drug Enforcement Administration's quota changes and opioid legal settlements have worsened these supply levels.
4. The extra workload to manage drug supply is exacerbating issues connected to pharmacy workforce shortages.