Drug shortages occur when medication supply is insufficient to meet the demand and they pose challenges for both patients and the pharmaceutical industry. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant increase in these shortages, as many of the issues that usually cause them became even more pronounced.
Drug shortages in the pre-pandemic era
Drug shortages are usually caused by issues that occur across the whole supply chain. As we mentioned in an earlier article, these might be issues related to:
- manufacturing,
- distribution,
- market dynamics.
Manufacturing problems, including raw material shortages, equipment failures or quality assurance issues are the most common. Distribution and market dynamics, including fluctuations in demand, also play a vital role in shaping supply chain decisions. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a new set of challenges in worldwide drug distribution.
The impact of COVID-19 on drug supply chains
Drug shortages became more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was caused by a combination of supply chain disruptions, increased demand, and regulatory challenges. Supply chain disruptions were often caused by lockdowns and labor shortages, as well as transportation issues that disrupted the manufacturing and distribution of drugs.
The spike in demand for drugs used to treat COVID-19 symptoms and complications put a strain on production capacities, and regulatory challenges, for example the need for rapid approvals, further worsened the situation.
These factors brought to light the existing vulnerabilities of the worldwide pharmaceutical supply chain and led to widespread drug shortages that affected both patient care and treatment outcomes. Essential medications were also among those significantly affected.
Specific drugs affected by the COVID-19 drug shortage
Essential COVID-related medications
The demand for essential life-saving drugs increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they were used to treat COVID-19 and its symptoms, which led to shortages. These medications include:
- pain management drugs,
- antibiotics,
- sedatives
- and paralytics.
Hospitals as well as healthcare providers faced critical shortages of sedatives, paralytics and other drugs that were crucial for patients on ventilators such as propofol, midazolam, fentanyl, rocuronium, and cisatracurium.
Antibiotics were also widely used in intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic, which strained the supply chain and made it difficult for hospitals to maintain sufficient stock levels.
Chronic disease management drugs
The drug shortages related to the pandemic had an impact beyond COVID-19 treatments – medications used for chronic disease management were also affected. Patients with diseases such as diabetes, hypertensions and other heart conditions also had difficulties accessing their prescribed medications.
Healthcare resources had to be reallocated and manufacturing priorities leaned towards COVID-19 treatments, which meant that chronic disease medications were deprioritized. This led to their inconsistent availability and often increased prices. At the same time, disruptions in the supply of insulin, heart disease medications and other drugs used for the management of chronic diseases increased the health risks for patients.
Generic drugs
Generic drugs make up a sizable portion of the pharmaceutical market because of their affordability. These were also affected by shortages, as the pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in the supply chain of generic medications which are often produced in bulk by a small number of manufacturers.
The affected generic drugs include widely used antibiotics and basic pain relievers, which faced supply disruptions due to reduced production capacities and factory shutdowns. These challenges led to a decrease in both the production and availability of these essential medications, which further complicated the treatment of various conditions.
Economic and health impacts
The health impact of drug shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic was profound as it caused delays in treatment, which in some cases resulted in worsened patients’ health outcomes or even death.
The shortages also affected intensive care units, which led to the use of alternatives that were often less effective or might have side effects. Chronic disease management was affected too, as patients with chronic conditions had difficulties accessing their prescribed medication.
Finally, these drug shortages also had economic impacts. Hospitals and healthcare providers faced increased costs, as they had to procure alternative medications that often cost more. The reallocation of resources also caused further strains.
For pharmaceutical companies, increased costs led to the disruption in global supply chains and raw material shortages.
Preventing drug shortages: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic
Drug shortages were frequent long before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic highlighted multiple vulnerabilities in global supply chains.
Manufacturing sites and distribution centers had to react quickly and change work practices to ensure employee safety, all while increasing production. Those that managed to successfully scale up their production did so thanks to preparedness and good business continuity plans.
Transparency and better cooperation between national authorities, manufacturers and other supply chain actors can help make forecasting more accurate and in turn prevent shortages. This goes hand in hand with improved communication and prompt analytics – high quality data and easier data sharing among all the parties could help anticipate and address shortages.
With tools such as Ex-PRICE, you can access real-time data about drug shortages, withdrawals, as well as drug pricing, reimbursement, and much more.
