In a new study, researchers examined the nation’s current shortage of vitally needed medications, and how this dangerous situation is being made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The authors provide recommendations on how clinicians and institutions might address potential scarcities of essential medications during the current public health crisis.
The research was conducted by a team at the University of Michigan and elsewhere.
In the paper, the team discussed how the federal and state governments, as well as health care providers, need to develop ethically sound policies that address already perilously low supplies of certain commonly-used medications, which are dwindling further due to resources needed to combat COVID-19.
Drug shortages have been a national emergency for years and are currently exacerbated due to COVID-19.
Issues related to supply chain and anticipated increased ICU needs over the course of the pandemic are worsening the problem.
According to the team, as of today, the American Society of Health-system Pharmacists (ASHP) reports 213 drug shortages in the United States.
It is not just patients with COVID-19 who are affected. One example of a current drug with critically short supply is Erwinia asparaginase, a life-saving chemotherapeutic agent for both children and adults with cancer.
Among medical specialties severely affected are oncology, critical care, and infectious disease.
The authors stated that regional communication among hospitals is an important first step — helping determine how local drug supply chains are affected — and that coordination and sharing mechanisms are also critical.
This information sharing would ideally occur via a central repository or clearinghouse.
Both the FDA and ASHP also maintain databases of current drug shortages, and independent health care companies maintain their own databases that can provide invaluable information.
The authors noted that communication should not be limited to discussions among pharmacists, hospitals, and health systems.
Open discussions with patients who are most affected by drug shortages are essential. In the spirit of openness, they recommended that hospitals consider publicly posting information about drug shortages.
One author of the study is Dr. Shuman, co-chief of the Clinical Ethics Service, Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine.
The study is published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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