Managing Drug Shortages

Managing Drug Shortages

Identifies therapeutic alternatives during drug shortages with clinical equivalence assessment, conservation strategies, and communication protocols.

Why This Skill Exists

Drug shortages are a persistent and growing threat to patient safety in the United States, with over 300 active shortages reported annually by the ASHP Drug Shortage Resource Center and the FDA Drug Shortage Database. Shortages affect critical medications including injectable opioids, chemotherapy agents, IV fluids, antibiotics, and electrolyte replacements. ASHP surveys indicate that 99% of hospital pharmacists have managed at least one drug shortage, and 47% report that shortages have contributed to medication errors.

The causes are multifactorial: manufacturing quality failures (FDA 483 citations), raw material supply chain disruptions, just-in-time inventory practices, limited manufacturing redundancy, and economic disinvestment in low-margin generic injectables. The Drug Shortage Staffing Assessment (ASHP 2019) found that hospital pharmacists spend an average of 8.6 hours per week managing drug shortages. ASHP Guidelines on Managing Drug Product Shortages provide the standard framework: identify the shortage, assess clinical impact, develop therapeutic alternatives, implement conservation strategies, communicate to stakeholders, and monitor outcomes. Failure to manage shortages systematically leads to treatment delays, suboptimal substitution, medication errors, and patient harm.

Checkpoint A: Pre-Draft Intake (Mandatory)

1. What drug is in shortage (name, strength, formulation, manufacturer)? (Default: verify on ASHP/FDA shortage database)
2. What is the estimated shortage duration (temporary, indefinite, permanent discontinuation)? (Default: check manufacturer/FDA updates)
3. What clinical indications does this drug serve in the institution? (Default: pull utilization report)
4. What is the current institutional inventory level and estimated days' supply? (Default: check pharmacy inventory system)
5. Are there FDA-approved therapeutic alternatives currently on formulary? (Default: review formulary)
6. What patient populations are highest priority for the remaining supply? (Default: triage by clinical acuity)
7. Is the shortage affecting a critical care, emergency, or surgical essential medication? (Default: assess criticality)
8. Has the institution's Drug Shortage Committee or P&T Committee been notified? (Default: initiate notification)

Documents to Request

• ASHP Drug Shortage Resource Center listing for the affected product
• FDA Drug Shortage Database entry with manufacturer status
• Institutional utilization data (past 6-12 months consumption)
• Current inventory levels across all pharmacy locations (central, satellites, ADCs)
• GPO shortage communication and alternative sourcing options
• Clinical guidelines for the indication(s) served by the shortage drug
• Prior shortage management protocols for this drug (if previously in shortage)
• Alternative product availability from wholesaler and secondary suppliers

Step 1: Verify and Classify the Shortage

Verify shortage status through official sources:

• ASHP Drug Shortage Resource Center (www.ashp.org/drug-shortages)
• FDA Drug Shortage Database (www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages)
• GPO/wholesaler shortage notifications
• Manufacturer direct communications

Classify shortage severity:

Assess institutional impact:

• Number of patients currently receiving the shortage drug
• Clinical areas affected (ICU, OR, oncology, ED, general med-surg)
• Whether the drug is on the institution's critical medication list
• Whether the shortage affects any active clinical protocols or order sets

Step 2: Develop Therapeutic Alternatives

For each clinical indication served by the shortage drug, identify alternatives:

Alternative assessment framework:

Common shortage scenarios and alternatives:

Step 3: Implement Conservation Strategies

Tier 1 — Immediate conservation (no clinical impact):

• Convert IV to PO for eligible patients (bioequivalent agents: fluoroquinolones, metronidazole, fluconazole, linezolid)
• Review and discontinue inappropriate or unnecessary use
• Adjust par levels in automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs)
• Remove shortage drug from automated replenishment; require manual override
• Consolidate remaining supply to central pharmacy for controlled dispensing

Tier 2 — Moderate conservation (minimal clinical adjustment):

• Implement therapeutic interchange to alternative agents per P&T approval
• Update CPOE order sets to default to alternative agents
• Modify clinical protocols (e.g., switch empiric antibiotic in pathways)
• Batch preparation to reduce waste (e.g., split vials for pediatric doses)
• Evaluate extended dating or stability data for compounded products

Tier 3 — Critical conservation (significant clinical adjustment):

• Restrict remaining supply to highest-acuity patients (ICU, OR, oncology)
• Require attending-level approval for shortage drug use
• Contact FDA about temporary importation of foreign-approved equivalents
• Contact compounding 503B outsourcing facilities for alternative supply
• Evaluate investigational drug access (expanded access/compassionate use)

Step 4: Communication and Documentation

Stakeholder communication plan:

Documentation requirements:

• Drug shortage management log with dates, actions, and outcomes
• P&T Committee or Drug Shortage Committee meeting minutes
• Updated order sets and clinical protocols (version-tracked)
• Cost impact tracking (increased acquisition cost, waste, additional labor)
• Adverse event monitoring for any shortage-related substitution errors

Step 5: Monitor and Resolve

• Monitor ASHP/FDA/GPO for shortage resolution updates weekly
• Track clinical outcomes for patients on alternative therapies
• Report any adverse events potentially related to therapeutic substitution
• Reverse conservation measures when supply is restored (update ADCs, order sets, protocols)
• Conduct post-shortage debrief to identify process improvements
• Update institutional shortage preparedness plan based on lessons learned

Checkpoint B: Post-Draft Alignment (Mandatory)

1. Has the shortage been verified through at least two official sources (ASHP, FDA, GPO)?
2. Are therapeutic alternatives supported by clinical equivalence evidence?
3. Has patient prioritization been established for the remaining supply?
4. Have all stakeholders been notified through appropriate communication channels?
5. Are monitoring parameters defined for patients switched to alternative therapies?

Quality Audit

• Shortage verified through ASHP Drug Shortage Resource Center and/or FDA database
• Shortage severity classified (critical, high, moderate, low)
• Current inventory quantified with estimated days' supply
• Therapeutic alternatives identified with clinical equivalence evidence
• Dose conversion calculations documented for each alternative
• Conservation strategies implemented in tiered fashion (least to most disruptive)
• Patient prioritization criteria established for remaining supply
• CPOE order sets updated to reflect approved alternatives
• ADC par levels adjusted and dispensing alerts activated
• Prescriber, nursing, and pharmacy staff communication completed
• P&T Committee notified (emergency interchange if applicable)
• Cost impact tracked and reported to pharmacy leadership
• Adverse event monitoring active for patients on substituted therapy
• Post-shortage resolution plan documented with reversal actions
• Drug Shortage Committee log updated with all actions and decisions

Guidelines

• Verify shortage through ASHP and FDA official channels before acting; wholesaler backorders may be distribution issues, not true shortages
• ASHP Guidelines on Managing Drug Product Shortages (2018) is the standard framework; follow its systematic approach
• Never hoard or divert shortage medications from the supply chain—this worsens the shortage for all institutions
• Therapeutic interchange during shortages requires P&T Committee authorization (emergency or expedited process)
• Document all substitution decisions, patient-level exceptions, and communication trails
• Contact the FDA's Drug Shortage Staff for critical shortages with no alternatives; temporary importation and compounding options may be available
• Plan for shortage recurrence—stockpile 2-4 weeks of critical medications and maintain alternative protocols in an accessible repository
• Update clinicians when the shortage resolves; failure to de-implement shortage protocols causes prolonged use of suboptimal alternatives