Shortages in the pharmacy have become an omnipresent force that continues to grow and
strain every aspect of care delivery. Drug shortages in the United States have tripled since
2005, including steady increases since 2016. COVID-19 has only hastened the growth of
shortages over the past several years, with 86% of hospitals reporting more shortages during
the pandemic. Most pressingly, 2022 brought no relief and saw the acceleration of new
shortages, with 95 shortages tracked by the end of the year. This puts ongoing and active
shortages at the highest volume since 2014, according to ASHP’s drug shortage statistics.

From the loading dock to the bedside, no discipline within the hospital is immune to the
impact of drug shortages. However, the primary burden of addressing shortages falls to the
pharmacy sourcing and procurement team. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of tools available
to support shortage prioritization and mitigation efforts resulting in sub-optimal allocation of
resources and producing an additional $216 million in labor costs annually at a time when
pharmacies are being pressed for cost containment and savings initiatives.