Why Are There Drug Shortages, and How Can I Find Out Why My Medication Is on Shortage?

If you take medications, there’s a good chance you’ve come across a drug shortage at some point. Drug shortages don't happen all the time, but it’s frustrating when they do. They can be scary, too, depending on what the medication treats.

Between 1996 and 2002, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) identified 224 drug shortages. And since 2006, there have been more drug shortages every year. Drug shortages began to reach crisis levels in 2009. This trend continued upward to 323 drug shortages by the end of 2023.

This trend has cooled off a bit since then. As of June 2024, ASHP identified 300 medications in short supply. But this is still a large number that affects the health of many people.

Here, we’ll learn about drug shortages and how you can track them.

What factors contribute to a drug shortage?

Drug shortages can be due to many reasons, including:

• High demand

• Manufacturing capacity issues

• Limited raw materials (ingredients used to make medications)

• Product quality issues

• Loss of, or damage to, a manufacturing site

• Regulation and compliance issues

• Supply chain interruptions

• Business decisions to stop making a medication

How long do drug shortages last?

Every shortage is different. The length of time a drug shortage lasts depends on the cause of the supply problem. The average time to resolve a drug shortage is 18 months, but this timeframe can range from a couple weeks to several years.

To see what may be behind the shortage, try calling your medication’s manufacturer. The manufacturer’s name is typically printed on your medication’s pharmacy label. They may be able to tell you more about the estimated length of time a shortage may last.

There’s also a chance your pharmacy already talked to the manufacturer or distributor. Your pharmacist (or pharmacy technician) is another person to reach out to with questions.

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• The impact of shortages: Learn how drug shortages affect medication access — among other issues that people face at the pharmacy pick-up counter.

• Enduring drug recalls: Another unexpected medication-related issue is a drug recall. Here’s what to do if something you take is impacted by one.

• Specialized drug networks: Even if your medication isn’t in shortage, it may only be available from certain pharmacies. Discover the essential facts on limited distribution drugs.

Online search tools from the FDA and ASHP can provide insight into drug shortage timing too. These are discussed later.

What can you do to prepare for a drug shortage?

To prepare for a drug shortage, consider trying to fill 90-day supplies of your medications instead of 30-day supplies. That way if a shortage affects one of your medications, you’ll have more time to find possible solutions. This could include finding an alternative medication.

Disclaimer: Certain state and federal regulations may not allow more than a 30-day supply at a time for some medications. This often includes controlled substances like opioid pain medications or stimulants that treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Some insurance plans may also limit how much medication you can fill at a time.

How likely is a drug shortage to occur?

All medications can be subject to a drug shortage. But injectable medications — especially sterile injectables — tend to be prone to this problem. In comparison to other medications, there’s a small number of manufacturers that work at full capacity to make injectable products. So if one of these manufacturers has a problem, it can have an outsized impact on overall production.

These manufacturers might also experience quality issues that can lead to a drug shortage. Making sterile injectables is difficult in comparison to making non-sterile products, such as tablets or capsules. In fact, in 2011, more than 75% of sterile injectable drug shortages were due to quality issues.

Are limited distribution drugs more likely to go into a shortage?

Not necessarily.

Limited distribution drugs (LDDs) are medications that are only available from certain pharmacies, wholesalers, and medical offices. These usually treat complex, rare, or serious health conditions. Fewer people transport and dispense LDDs compared to other medications — this is why they’re said to be “limited distribution” drugs. Medication manufacturers are the ones that set tight distribution and access limitations for LDDs.

LDDs are most often injectable medications. These medications have higher risk for quality issues. But tight restrictions on distribution and access usually allow manufacturers to effectively respond to drug shortages.

What are some real-world examples of a drug shortage?

The world can be unpredictable, and medications aren’t immune to various problems that pop up. The following are three real-world examples of drug shortages.

Semaglutide

As of August 2024, injectable semaglutide is in shortage due to high demand. This is the active ingredient in Wegovy, a once-weekly medication for weight loss.

Wegovy 0.25 mg is the specific version of injectable semaglutide that is currently in shortage. We don’t know for sure when the shortage will be resolved, but Wegovy’s manufacturer is actively ramping up their production of the medication.

Ozempic (semaglutide) for Type 2 diabetes isn’t technically considered in shortage. But some people still consider it hard to find.

Good to know: Some compounding pharmacies are making compounded semaglutide to address the demand for Wegovy and Ozempic. But keep in mind that compounded semaglutide is different from the commercially produced versions. It may be made using different ingredients or ingredients sourced from an unauthorized company, which can be risky. Your healthcare professional can tell you if compounded semaglutide is OK to try.

ADHD medications

Several ADHD medications, including generic versions of Adderall (amphetamine salts), Concerta (methylphenidate), and Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine), are all in shortage. This is due to several reasons — most notably manufacturing delays and high medication demand. Most manufacturers haven’t announced an expected resolution date.

If you want to learn more, GoodRx researchers discuss how ADHD prescription fills have changed due to the shortage.

Chantix

In 2021, Pfizer voluntarily recalled Chantix (varenicline). They paused making this anti-smoking medication. Pfizer made this decision after they identified high levels of nitrosamine in batches of Chantix. Nitrosamines are a contaminant that may cause cancer over time. This voluntary recall led to the medication being unavailable.

As of late August 2024, ASHP reports that there’s still a shortage of brand-name Chantix. A backorder will likely last until at least February 2025.

How can you keep track of medications that go into a shortage?

To help you keep track of drug shortages, consider using the FDA or ASHP websites.

To use these websites, type the name of your medication into their search bars. Entering the generic name works best. The search results should provide reason(s) for a medication’s low supply.

The FDA also has an app — the FDA Drug Shortages Mobile Application — that you can download and use for free. It’s available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Do drug shortages affect drug costs?

Yes, drug shortages can affect medication costs. In fact, according to a 2018 study, drug shortages might add up to $230 million every year to U.S. medication costs. They can also lead to higher out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy.

The high number of drug shortages created the “gray market.” This term refers to a network of unofficial medication distributors and compounders.

During a drug shortage, non-traditional distributors, or alternative suppliers, may buy the remaining stock of medications that are in low supply. These gray-market suppliers can sell the medications at marked-up prices. These prices can be anywhere from 10 to 1,000 times higher than the usual price.

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Written by:

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS, is a licensed pharmacist in Arizona, Colorado, and Rhode Island. He has worked in the pharmacy industry for more than 10 years and currently serves as a pharmacy editor for GoodRx.

Reviewed by:

Christina Aungst, PharmD

Christina Aungst, PharmD, is a pharmacy editor for GoodRx. She began writing for GoodRx Health in 2019, transitioning from freelance writer to editor in 2021.

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