The Harsh Reality of Medicine Shortages Predicted by Pharmacists
News about medicine shortages is going around in the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmacists think this problem will get worse over time. The major factors that cause the shortage are issues regarding the manufacturing process, natural disasters or many people requiring the drug at one time. The pandemic situation caused by COVID-19 has added further complications to the situation. This results in patients being unable to access the drugs that they need for survival. It is extremely crucial for all parties involved in drug shortage to understand the causes of such shortage and its impact on the pharmaceutical industry and patients.
Manufacturing Problems:
One very common cause of a shortage of medicine. The process for creating a medicine can be expensive and will require some incredibly expensive equipment, so a breakdown will cause problems with the supply chain. Any alterations in the raw materials or quality standards could prevent the drugs from passing necessary inspections. According to the FDA’s 2021 report, several manufacturers failed to meet the required standards, resulting in recalls of contaminated drugs.
Natural Disasters:
Hurricane, flood, forest fire – these natural phenomena can affect our lives, but also undermine the production of drugs and their timely delivery to patients. Hurricane Maria in 2017 in Puerto Rico did impact over forty US and international pharmaceutical companies. Puerto Rico represents a significant portion of the drug supply, and following Maria, numerous drug shortages appeared across the US. The takeaway point is that natural phenomena, which are out of our hands, can impact the US pharmaceutical supply Chain greatly.
Demand Surge:
Another significant contributor to medicine shortages is the demand surge. The manufacturing of drugs is a long process, and at times when demand increases unexpectedly, it might not give enough time to manufacture the drug. As an example, the unexpected increase in the demand for Hydroxychloroquine due to the coronavirus pandemic caused the drug to go out of stock, and those who needed it for treating their lupus and rheumatoid arthritis were deprived of the medicine.
COVID-19 Pandemic:
The ongoing pandemic has amplified the medicine shortage crisis in many ways. Lockdowns and curfews resulted in a major problem for the pharmaceutical industry and the drug supply chain due to challenges created in logistics, like delays in transportation, in the country and abroad, and bottlenecking the transportation of the medicines and the Raw Materials for them. Another issue is a sudden increase in the rate of patient admissions in health facilities, which causes demand to outweigh supply and results in the inability to make regular shipments. It can be considered that the COVID-19 pandemics as is a case study that epidemics can lead to a drug shortage and influence the health of patients in the long term all over the world.
After all, the Medicine Shortage Issue that requires a combined solution of pharmaceutical companies, health care providers, governments, as well as policymakers and companies, who have to make sure the drugs get to the pharmacies when it comes to ensuring an Adequate Supply, but need to be sure to keep away from unforeseen events such as pandemics or nature. The government and regulating organizations should monitor the companies of the pharmaceutical sector at all times and ensure that the required quality is maintained and demand is fulfilled. Patients and the public in general should know that stockpiling of medicines without planning will cause shortages.
The Coronavirus outbreak revealed the potential impact of medical shortages, and the industry needs to be more proactive in order to avoid such scenarios in the future. It is imperative for all parties taking part in the medicine supply chain to join hands to come up with multilateral approaches, effective supply management techniques, and emergency plans. We will ensure the safety of the medicine supply and ensure that patients are able to access the drugs easily.