Drug shortages in US at decade-high levels

Shortages of a wide range of crucial drugs in the United States are the highest in 10 years, especially cancer drugs that affect thousands of patients who face delayed or canceled chemotherapy appointments.

There were 309 active national drug shortages as of last month, including 177 sterile injectables, said the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists in Maryland, which tracks drug shortages.

That is an increase from 295 at the end of last year and the highest total since 2014. The shortages include antibiotics, medications such as Adderall for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and diabetes drug Ozempic, and chemotherapy drugs.

Unexpected demand spikes, manufacturing challenges, and limited availability of ingredients are causing the crisis.

The shortage of critical drugs may worsen after a tornado touched down in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on July 19 and ripped up the roof of a Pfizer factory that makes nearly 25 percent of Pfizer's sterile injectable medicines used in US hospitals.

All employees were safely evacuated and accounted for, and no serious injuries were reported, Pfizer said, adding it is still assessing damage.

Experts said it is too early to know how the damage to Pfizer's plant might affect the availability of medicines.

Pfizer is the largest producer of generic injectable drugs for the US, said IQVIA in North Carolina, which tracks sales data. Pfizer products accounted for 19 percent of the country's supply for the first five months of this year.

At least 129 sterile injectable drugs are already in short supply in the US, according to the University of Utah's drug information service, Bloomberg reported.

"This could be a big hit on the drug supply in the US," Stephen Schondelmeyer, a professor at the University of Minnesota who studies the pharmaceutical industry, told Bloomberg. Even if other producers start making sterile injectable drugs, it could still take weeks or months, he said.

A White House spokesperson said the Food and Drug Administration "is monitoring the situation closely as it evolves and is working with the company to understand the extent of the damage and any potential impact to the nation's drug supply".

Hurting cancer research

At least 25 cancer drugs are now in shortage, said the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Two in particular, carboplatin and cisplatin, may be hurting cancer research the most because they are used with such a wide variety of cancers. Cisplatin and other platinum-based drugs are prescribed for 10 percent to 20 percent of all cancer patients, the National Cancer Institute, or NCI, said.

This month, the FDA allowed more cancer drugs to be imported from China due to the shortage of chemotherapy drugs and no alternatives.

Experts said the shortage of cancer-treating drugs is not just bad for current patients but that its effect on cancer research may be felt for years to come.

The NCI said at least 174 of its 608 trials may be affected by the shortages, CNN reported last week. That number cannot account for other trials that rely on these drugs or possible trials that researchers would like to start but cannot.

Mark Fleury, policy principal of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy in Washington, told CNN the issue has not gotten as much attention as the effects of shortages on individual patients, but it has put the country's push for better cancer medicine in real jeopardy.

New drug shortages had nearly a 30 percent increase from 2021 to 2022, affecting 295 products by the end of last year, according to a March report from the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, NBC News reported.

During the pandemic, patients could receive prescriptions from doctors without in-person visits due to a regulatory change, leading to a surge in the demand for prescription drugs.

Shortages particularly of generic drugs in the US have been a longstanding problem. The industry has consolidated, and some manufacturers lack motivation to resolve shortages as inexpensive generics result in slim profits.

Generic drugs represent about 90 percent of all prescriptions filled in the US, but account for only about 20 percent of drug spending. Their low cost means generic drugmakers do not make much money, NBC News reported.

Declining profits have forced some US-based factories to close permanently, worsening the drug shortage across the country.

In February, Akorn Pharmaceuticals in Illinois shut its doors, NBC News reported. It was responsible for producing 75 generic drugs, all of which were pulled from the market following its shutdown.

Agencies contributed to this story.