Allyza Uy - Pharmacy

 


Global Medicine Shortages: A Growing Threat to Public Health and Pharmaceutical Integrity


In 2024, 99% of pharmacists reported medicine supply issues at least weekly. Shortages of crucial medicinal products are not only detrimental to current patients, but future generations as we know it. 

Pharmacology is the branch of medicine that studies the effects of drugs and chemicals on living organisms, focusing on how they interact with the body. The World Health Organization (WHO) has addressed the supply deficit, specifically in low and middle-income countries. This undersupply of medicine is often substituted by fabricated versions. In 2023, products marketed to aid diabetes type II (such as GLP-RA-1) have been associated with a rise in reports of falsified GPL-RA-1. These are often sold through unregulated sources such as social media.

The consequences extend far beyond a momentary shortage. Patients depending on regular medication to manage chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, or epilepsy face dangerous interruptions to their health. In some cases, it’s a missed dose, and in others, an emergency room visit. Pharmacists, though highly trained and dedicated, can only do so much when the supply simply is not there. 

The presence of counterfeit medicines adds another layer of danger. People desperate for treatment are turning to online sellers and unofficial suppliers, unknowingly putting their health, and in some cases their lives, at risk. These falsified drugs may look identical to the real thing but often contain ineffective or harmful substances.

Until meaningful, global changes are made to stabilize supply chains and enforce regulations, this problem won’t disappear. In fact, it may only escalate. This is more than a pharmaceutical issue, it is a public health emergency in motion.


Rates of drug and ingredients in shortage in Canada (2017/18 to 2019/20)

Number of active substances in shortage in the US and Germany (2016-2023)






Works Cited


International Pharmaceutical Federation. (n.d.). Medicines shortages. FIP. https://www.fip.org/medicines-shortages

Community Pharmacy England. (2024). Medicines supply and shortages. https://cpe.org.uk/dispensing-and-supply/supply-chain/medicine-shortages/#:~:text=According%20to%20our%202024%20Medicines,facing%20multiple%20issues%20a%20day

Community Pharmacy England. (2024, May). Medicines supply report: Pressures survey 2024 [PDF]. https://cpe.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Pressures-Survey-2024-Medicines-Supply-Report-Final.pdf

Royal Pharmaceutical Society. (2024, January 24). Medicines shortages [PDF]. https://www.rpharms.com/Portals/0/RPS%20document%20library/Open%20access/Medicines%20Shortages/Medicines%20Shortages%20-%20Digital%20-%20201124.pdf

University of Alberta. (n.d.). What is pharmacology? https://www.ualberta.ca/en/pharmacology/about/what-is-pharmacology.html#:~:text=Pharmacology%20is%20the%20scientific%20study,which%20affects%20a%20biological%20system


World Health Organization. (2024, January 29). Shortages impacting access to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist products: Increasing the potential for falsified versions. https://www.who.int/news/item/29-01-2024-shortages-impacting-access-to-glucagon-like-peptide-1-receptor-agonist-products–increasing-the-potential-for-falsified-versions#:~:text=Medicine%20shortage%20is%20a%20global,outlets%2C%20including%20social%20media%20platforms


Patented Medicine Prices Review Board. (2023, October 26). Drug shortages: A scoping review of the impact on patients and caregivers. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/patented-medicine-prices-review/services/npduis/analytical-studies/drug-shortages-impact.html


Wrzosek, D., Felder, M., & Kesselheim, A. S. (2024). A comparative analysis of drug shortages in the US and Germany (2016–2023). Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 52(1), 38–48. https://doi.org/10.1017/jme.2024.9

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