Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

One in four Canadians or their family members will be impacted by a drug shortage in the next two years. Drug shortages are defined as situations where the total supply of a drug and its clinically interchangeable versions will not meet current demand. Shortages result in poor drug availability and widespread impacts on patient care and the healthcare system. Shortages can occur due to various reasons including manufacturing problems, quality assurance issues, sole-source contracts, demand increases, and scarce raw materials. Disruptions to drug availability force patients to change their course of treatment, use drug alternatives, or even discontinue treatment. This can lead to negative clinical outcomes including adverse effects, medication errors, inferior treatment, hospitalization, and even mortality. Drug shortages also constrain physicians and pharmacists to finding drug alternatives to deliver timely care. To mitigate and prevent the impact of shortages on the healthcare system, various strategies and policy changes have been implemented, including mandatory reporting of shortages by manufacturers, expedited premarket approval of drug products, and international import of drugs. Despite these efforts, drug shortages are a growing concern across the country. However, the extent and impact of shortages on drug use is understudied, particularly at the patient level. Our study aims to analyze drug utilization trends following Canadian drug shortages to understand how shortages affect patient drug use. We will also determine characteristics that make drugs more susceptible to significant shortages. These findings will allow us to inform policy measures to prevent and mitigate the impact of shortages, while also improving patient access to drugs and clinical outcomes.