Why Are So Many Prescription Drugs Out of Stock?
According to the health policy organization KFF, 61% of all adults in the United States currently take at least one prescription drug. For many, getting access to medications has become more difficult because so many drugs are regularly out of stock.
Experts have tracked down a number of causes for drug shortages, but the solutions are less clear. Learn more about what’s making it hard to find the right medications for your health needs and what can be done about it.
Causes of Prescription Drug Shortages
If you’re struggling to get the prescription drugs you need, it may be for one or more of these reasons.
Manufacturing Problems
One cause of prescription drug shortages is manufacturing problems. Manufacturers need specific ingredients to produce medications. Sometimes, they buy the ingredients from other countries. Instability in one of these countries can lead not only to delays but also to quality control problems.
If there are manufacturing or sourcing issues at any stage of the production of a particular medication, the entire chain can come to a complete halt. This leads to significant delays.
Natural Disasters and Geopolitical Issues
Supply chain disruptions can also be the result of natural disasters. Instances of climate-related extreme weather events have increased, affecting drug manufacturers and their entire supply chains. Geopolitical issues, too, can cause these disruptions.
Surge in Demand
In some cases, a surge in demand leaves people unable to receive the medications they need. This can happen when a new drug enters the market or when doctors use a medication in a new way.
Ozempic is a good example of how a surge in demand leads to out-of-stock issues. The sudden popularity of this medication for weight loss means that people who took it for the treatment of diabetes now struggle to get it.
Fewer Companies Producing the Drug
Market consolidation is a concern, as well. Some manufacturers have been bought by larger companies, which might at first seem to promise stability. In fact, this type of consolidation can make shortages more likely because a problem with just one company can mean fewer medications for everyone.
Cost Concerns
Drug manufacturers are for-profit businesses that are always searching for the next popular product. They might turn their focus on newer drugs and not bother strengthening the supply chains for older, less-profitable medications.
Regulatory Issues
Regulatory changes in a country that manufactures a drug or any of its ingredients can affect the supply chain.
Similarly, domestic changes in regulations can slow down the approval process, which means that fewer medications are making their way to market. This puts increased pressure on existing medications that may already be affected by supply chain issues.
Finding the Right Solution
Businesses are taking steps to overcome shortages of essential prescription drugs. Pharmacies, for example, have responded by sourcing stock from different suppliers or even from other pharmacies.
Doctors may recommend alternative medications, including generic products with active ingredients that are identical to brand-name options.
In more serious instances of shortages that impact the entire country, federal agencies have the authority to allow foreign products into the U.S. market. These agencies may also get involved in addressing the underlying cause of any manufacturing issues associated with the shortage.
How Simplefill Can Help
When prescription drugs are out of stock, prices rise. The simple economic principle of supply and demand means that it can be very difficult for people who need these medications to afford them, even if they are available.
Simplefill can help you afford your medications by finding prescription medication programs designed to help people like you. If you provide our team with your health information and a list of the medications you take, we will fill out paperwork for you and alert you to new programs you might qualify for.
We connect our members with affordable prescription medications for a wide variety of conditions, including:
- Diabetes
- HIV and AIDS
- Dementia
- Asthma
- Fibromyalgia
- Psoriasis
- COPD
- Cancer
- Rheumatoid arthritis
We also help families better afford medications for pediatric conditions of all types.
Get Affordable Access to Prescription Medications
If drug shortages have increased the prices of the medications you rely on or you are otherwise struggling to afford them, you don’t have to go without. At Simplefill, we make it easy to enroll in the patient assistance programs you qualify for.
Start an application today by calling 1.877.386.0206. A caring Simplefill representative will contact you within 24 hours to discuss your application and, if qualified, enroll you into the program.
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