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Drug shortage Alert: Millions of patients affected as FDA reports shortfalls of essential drugs

By Brian Buntz | March 13, 2023

View Through Bathroom Cabinet Of Young Woman Taking Medication From Container

[Image courtesy of Monkey Business/Adobe Stock]

Millions of U.S. patients are facing medication shortages, according to recent FDA data. The Adderall drug shortage in particular has received significant attention in recent months. Other notable drugs currently facing shortages include the bronchodilator Albuterol and the popular antibiotics amoxicillin and azithromycin.

The pandemic and supply chain challenges are partly to blame for the drug shortages. In recent years, manufacturing output for some drugs sank as a result of factors such as pandemic-induced restrictions and worker shortages. The pandemic also contributed to supply chain disruptions. For instance, China and India, both major suppliers of active pharmaceutical ingredients and other materials. As a result, the pharma industry has been forced to find new ways to ensure a steady supply of raw materials and ingredients.

To illustrate the impact of these drug shortage problems on patients and providers, we have compiled a list of some of the most recent drug shortages and their causes. We rank the entries based on the volume of prescriptions in 2020.

Drug Name Number of Prescriptions in 2020 Cause of Shortage
1. Adderall (amphetamine salts) 26.1 million Increased demand during the pandemic and manufacturing delays. FDA announced the shortage in October 2022.
2. Albuterol (ventolin) 17.9 million Increased demand from patients suffering from respiratory illnesses such as RSV, influenza and COVID-19. Closure of generics firm Akorn Pharmaceuticals in February 2023, according to ASHP.
3. Amoxicillin (Brand names Amoxil, Trimox) 12.8 million Demand surge for antibiotics, delays and supply chain issues. Recent amoxicillin shortages have hit oral suspensions of the drug the hardest. Some manufacturers have not explained the reason behind the shortages.
4. Azithromycin (Brand name Zithromax) 7.4 million Demand surge for antibiotics, delays and supply chain issues.
5. Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate Injection (Brand name Decadron) 4.8 million High demand for COVID-19 treatment. Manufacturing delays.
6. Bupivacaine hydrochloride injection (Brand name Marcaine) 3.6 million Limited availability of raw materials. Increased demand for surgical procedures.
7. Clonazepam tablets (Brand name Klonopin) 2.5 million Increased demand for anxiety treatment.
8. Cisplatin injection (Brand name Platinol) 1.5 million Manufacturing delays and increased demand.
9. Cefotaxime sodium injection (Brand name Claforan) 1.4 million Discontinuations by Hospira, Sanofi and Hikma, according to ASHP.
10. (tied) Cyclopentolate ophthalmic solution (Brand name Cyclogyl) 1.3 million Closure of generics firm Akorn Pharmaceuticals in February 2023, according to ASHP.
10. (tied) Desmopressin acetate nasal spray (Generic DDAVP) 1.3 million Continued impact from Ferring 2020 recall of desmopressin nasal spray. Amring has discontinued its marketing of the product, according to ASHP.

About The Author

Brian Buntz

The pharma and biotech editor of WTWH Media, Brian is a veteran journalist with more than 15 years of experience covering an array of life science topics, including clinical trials, drug discovery and development and medical devices. Before coming to WTWH, he served as content director focused on connected devices at Informa. In addition, Brian covered the medical device sector for 10 years at UBM. At Qmed, he overhauled the brand’s news coverage and helped to grow the site’s traffic volume dramatically. He had previously held managing editor roles on two of the company’s medical device technology publications. Connect with him on LinkedIn or email at bbuntz@wtwhmedia.com.

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