Anti-infective drug shortages threaten public health and patient care

Shortages of key drugs used to fight infections represent a public health emergency and can put patients at risk, according to a new. Frequent anti-infective shortages can substantially alter clinical care and lead to worse outcomes for patients, particularly as the development of new anti-infectives has slowed and the prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens is increasing. Of the 193 medications unavailable in the US at the time of the analysis, 13 percent were anti-infective drugs. First-line treatments for herpes encephalitis, neurosyphilis, tuberculosis and enterococcal infections, among others, have been hit by shortages, forcing physicians to use other drugs that may not work as well. Although the root cause of drug shortages can be hard to determine, the authors point to several supply-side issues that play a role: procuring raw materials, processing, distributing, regulatory compliance, market shortages due to epidemics, new therapeutic indications, and perceived shortages.