Published: August 2024

Task force urges steps to prevent prescription drug shortages

The Task Force on Preventing and Mitigating Drug Shortages, of which Consumer Action is a member, urged lawmakers to prioritize the issue of preventing and mitigating drug shortages—a situation that has for years impacted millions of Americans and resulted in serious negative consequences for patients, health systems and hospitals.

The Task Force on Preventing and Mitigating Drug Shortages, of which Consumer Action is a member, wrote to lawmakers to urge them to prioritize the issue of preventing and mitigating drug shortages in the United States, which are at an all-time high and are also lasting longer. For millions of patients, drug shortages mean treatment delays, less effective treatments, or missed doses of therapies—literally a matter of life and death for some. The Task Force’s call to action urges Congress to enact comprehensive reforms, including increasing supply chain visibility, establishing a vulnerable medicines list, bolstering manufacturing capacity, and coordinating supply chain resilience and reliability efforts. These measures would help to better predict what shortages are likely to occur, understand the root causes of persistent drug shortages, foster supply chain resilience and reliability, and ensure patients have access to life-saving therapies.

Lead Organization

Task Force on Preventing and Mitigating Drug Shortages

More Information

Read the letter here.

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