US drug shortages hit all-time high, pharmacists warn [Video]

Drug shortages in the U.S. are at an all-time high, and some of the medications in short supply are life-saving chemotherapy drugs and emergency medications stored in hospitals, pharmacists warn. 

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and Utah Drug Information Service reported that there were 323 active drug shortages in the first quarter of the year, marking the most shortages since they have been tracking the data since 2001.

It surpassed the previous record of 320 shortages in 2014, according to the data. 

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While ASHP CEO Paul Abramowitz warned that all drug classes are vulnerable to drug shortages, he said that “some of the most worrying shortages involve generic sterile injectable medications, including cancer chemotherapy drugs and emergency medications stored in hospital crash carts and procedural areas.” 

This includes drugs like oxytocin, Rho(D) immune globulin, standard of care chemotherapy, pain and sedation medications, …