As Americans have dealt with prescription drug shortages over the last few years, data from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the University of Utah Drug Information Service (UUDIS) suggests drug shortages are at an all-time high.
The ASHP began tracking national drug shortages in 2001, and according to its Drug Shortage Statistics report, a record high of 323 prescription drugs are in active shortages as of March 2024. Some of the most concerning shortages include cancer drugs, emergency medications kept in hospital crash carts, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications.
When individuals lack access to medications due to prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drug shortages, they may be forced to replace, ration, or stop taking their meds over time. Patients suffering from prescription shortages may face higher prescription costs and medication substitutions, adversely impacting their physical and mental health.

What is a Prescription Drug Shortage?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers a drug to be in a shortage when national demand surpasses the available inventory for all drug versions. Shortages may also occur when manufacturers—for both name-brand medicines and their generic forms—fail to meet demand for a drug’s use at the patient level.
According to the ASHP, some of the most common types of drugs in short supply include the following:
- Antimicrobials and antibiotics
- Fluids, electrolytes, and other crash cart supplies, like pain and sedation medications
- Chemotherapy drugs
- Central nervous system (CNS) agents
- Hormonal agents
Among these drug classes, shortages of injectable medications can significantly put a strain on hospitals and healthcare settings delivering critical and life-saving emergency care. On the other hand, many of these drugs are routinely prescribed medications that people need to manage their everyday lives.
Causes of Drug Shortages
While the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many existing drug shortages in 2020, manufacturers temporarily recovered in 2021—only for shortage levels to trend upward throughout 2022 and 2023.
Michael Gaino, a senior director at the ASHP, said that drug shortages can happen for various reasons. Still, with so many medications currently in shortage, a handful of factors have contributed to Americans’ situation since 2021.
“What we’ve seen recently are some demand spikes,” Gaino told PBS, explaining that demand increases have contributed to shortages of ADHD medications like Adderall or diabetes medications used for weight loss, like Ozempic or Wegovy.
Beyond pandemic-induced supply chain shortages and high demand for specific medications, manufacturers’ market interests and quality control practices are among other culprits for drug shortages.
Gaino said sterile, injectable drugs are challenging to manufacture and have slim profit margins, so distributors often have limited interest in making them, leading to product discontinuations. On the other hand, when hospital groups purchase from manufacturers, they have little insight into the quality of the product.
According to Wosińska and Frank, the FDA regulates drug manufacturing but maintains minimal supervision over facilities, relying on manufacturers to report issues with production. In other words, the FDA and hospitals cannot know whether prescription drugs are manufactured safely, efficiently, and to product specifications.
When problems in manufacturing do arise, the FDA often tries to avoid critical drug shortages by allowing non-compliant facilities to continue production, Wosińska and Frank explained. Non-compliant manufacturing processes, whether staffing, equipment, or materials-related, ultimately lead to shortages when too many manufacturers fail to meet demand.

Impact of Drug Shortages
On one hand, healthcare providers and their patients are among those most affected by drug shortages as they must learn to work with less. According to the CDC, nearly half of all Americans take at least one prescription medication, while others with chronic illnesses may be prescribed multiple drugs at a time.
When a drug product is in shortage, patients face difficulty filling their prescriptions, increased medication costs, higher insurance premiums, and adverse health effects. Some consumers who need their prescriptions to function daily have resorted to delaying treatments or decreasing their dosages. In contrast, others have replaced their medications with less suitable or effective prescriptions.
Clinically, healthcare providers have been navigating these extensive drug shortages by adapting how patients receive treatment. For example, a nurse may replace an injectable drug low in supply with an oral tablet. Additionally, physicians may employ alternative therapies for specific patients or implement rationing strategies to manage supply.
National prescription drug shortages also create ethical, political, and logistical challenges for healthcare systems, public health, and human services. Hospitals often address drug shortages by outsourcing, purchasing medications in forms and dosages not typically stocked, and consolidating inventories. Alongside hospitals, pharmaceutical distributors face increased budget and labor demands.
Solutions and Preventative Measures
In response to ongoing drug shortages, national and government agencies have begun developing strategies to mediate current shortages and prevent future supply emergencies.
As of February 2024, the FDA has compiled a list of drugs approved for extended use after their initial “use by” dates. The government agency has also begun approving new drug alternatives for medications in shortage, including several generic forms of Vyvanse, used to treat ADHD and binge eating disorder (BED) in adults.
The FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research has also established a quality management maturity (QMM) program to promote early detection of quality issues, improve manufacturing processes, and assess the reliability of foreign supply chains that produce active ingredients and raw materials.
In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a white paper on recommendations to mitigate current drug shortages. The document suggested policies like incentivizing manufacturers to support domestic supply chains and penalizing hospitals that fail to stockpile critical medications.
“Unfortunately, the HHS proposal misses the mark by suggesting penalties against hospitals not adopting HHS-required inventory and purchasing practices. Hospitals are often hit hard by drug shortages,” the ASHP said in a statement about the HHS white paper.
The trade group said, “HHS and Congress need to take additional action to operationalize any of the suggestions included in the white paper.”

What Can Patients Do?
If you are one of the millions of Americans who have been affected by ongoing national prescription drug shortages, being proactive is your best course of action to ensure you get your medications when you need them.
If you currently take any medications, consider doing the following to stay ahead of potential shortages:
- Check for shortages: Though you may currently have access to your prescriptions, check the FDA’s updated list of shortages to see if your medications are included. If one of your medications is on the list, talk to your doctor about alternative dosages or treatment options.
- Go to another pharmacy: If your pharmacy is out of your medications, their other locations may have them in stock, or you can call other pharmacies to ask if they can fill your prescription.
- Ask for a generic or different brand: Often, your pharmacist can prescribe you a generic version or alternative brand of your medication if the name brand of your prescription is out of stock.
Reach out for Support
The Summit Wellness Group recognizes that some people may suffer mental hardship or turn to substances to cope with the stress of prolonged prescription drug shortages. Other people may resort to illicit or illegitimate sources to obtain their medications, which can increase the risk of addiction or accidental overdose.
At The Summit Wellness Group, we personalize your treatment plan to your individual goals and needs, ensuring access to the necessary medications and healthcare.
If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, substance abuse, or another mental health condition, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Feel free to contact us anytime by phone at (770) 609-2663 or by email at ContactUs@TheSummitWellnessGroup.com.