PBMs Can Do Little to Prevent, Mitigate Drug Shortages, Experts Say

Drug shortages have grabbed headlines in recent months, with patients struggling to fill prescription medications that treat conditions including asthma and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and providers struggling to stock and administer specialty drugs, especially in oncology. Experts tell AIS Health, a division of MMIT, that PBMs don’t have an abundance of options to ameliorate the shortages and may be unlikely to try the limited workarounds that they do have.

New research prepared for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) by researchers from the University of Utah found that 301 drug shortages were in effect by the end of the first quarter of the year — a five-year high.

© 2024 MMIT
Peter Johnson

Peter Johnson

Peter has been a reporter for nearly a decade. Before joining AIS Health, Peter covered a wide variety of topics in his hometown of Seattle, where he continues to live. Peter’s work has appeared in publications including The Atlantic and The Stranger. Peter attended Colby College.

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