Drug Shortages at Decade High, Last Longer: USP

The U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) inaugural drug shortage report shows that shortages are at a decade high and are lasting longer than they did in 2020. A USP statement (includes a link to the report) says that the average drug shortage lasts for over three years, compared to about two years in 2020, and affects a wide range of therapeutic classes. Some 53% of new drug shortages were generic sterile injectable medicines, the statement says.

The report highlights four factors that singly or in combination can leave a drug more vulnerable to shortage — low prices, manufacturing complexity, geographic concentration, and quality concerns.

USP says it is calling for market and policy solutions that address both short-term and long-term needs and include risk mitigation strategies, public and private investment and partnerships, payment reform to reward reliability, and manufacturing quality, coordination, and accountability.