The American Medical Association (AMA) has implemented new policies to combat the growing number of drug shortages in the US, which are among the highest in the past decade. Patients, particularly those with cancer, are facing significant disruptions due to shortages in essential medications. The AMA's policies aim to address issues within the drug supply chain, including a lack of teamwork and transparency, and to incentivize drug manufacturing. Researchers highlight the complexity of the US drug supply chain, noting it is 40% more likely to result in meaningful shortages compared to Canada.
With the number of US drug shortages being one of the highest seen over the past 10 years, the American Medical Association has adopted policies aimed at mitigating them, and researchers offer their understanding of what’s driving these challenging events.
Due to built-in payer conflicts, reporting gaps, and the complexity of the US drug supply chain, stateside stakeholders may face greater challenges in some respects vs their Canadian counterparts, according to the new research. But the United States is not alone in having difficulties responding to drug shortages, as Canada’s efforts to address drug shortages also leave room for improvement, the paper says.
As the above paragraphs imply, American stakeholders face significant hurdles in battling drug shortages.
When appropriate, Tadrous added, a standing task force can engage manufacturer advocacy groups and manufacturers to find solutions such as bringing in foreign stocks of drugs or developing shortage mitigation strategies. Accordingly, he said, Canada’s task forces have “developed this ability to nimbly respond to things as they start seeing signals through the supply chain reports.”
The US healthcare system also includes many more pharmacies, hospitals, and providers, said Devine. “That complexity can make it a challenge when drugs are in short supply — how do you allocate those limited supplies? Providers, healthcare systems, patients, and others are competing to get access to treatment in a scenario where supply is more constrained than it would be under ideal circumstances.
However, he added, even Canadian manufacturers’ reported reasons commonly provide vague catchalls such as “business decision.” Understanding the factors behind such decisions could help planners better forecast how long a shortage will last, said Tadrous.
Drug Shortages American Medical Association Healthcare Supply Chain Cancer Treatment
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