National Drug Shortages:
January 2001 to June 2025
SUMMARY
- The number of active drug shortages is 253, the lowest number since early 2022 and down from an all-time high of 323 in the first quarter of 2024.
- Shortages of commonly used medications such as lorazepam injection and triamcinolone injection affect large numbers of patients and clinicians. Patients with chronic pain may struggle to fill prescriptions for oral opioids due to ongoing shortages.
- Projections for an above-normal hurricane season elevate concerns about shortages of critical fluids, which have persisted following 2024’s Hurricane Helene and the resulting manufacturing delays.
- More than one-third of all active shortages (42%) began in 2022 or earlier.
- Workload required to manage shortages, including work to change pharmacy automation and electronic health records, adds to the challenges of pharmacy staff shortages.
Selected Links of Interest
- Brookings: Federal Policies to Address Persistent Generic Drug Shortages
- ASHP: Drug Shortage Survey Report - Fluids
- ASHP: Policy Solutions to Address the Drug Shortage Crisis
- Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee (hearing)
- Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs (hearing and report)
- Government Accountability Office: Report on Drug Shortages (April 2025)
- Health Affairs: Building Resilience Into US Prescription Drug Supply Chains
- National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Security of America’s Medical Product Supply Chain
- Improving the Quality and Resilience of the United States Healthcare Supply Chain
For More Information
All data provided by the University of Utah Drug Information Service. ASHP and the University of Utah maintain a drug shortage database that tracks drug availability across the nation.
For more information, visit ashp.org/drug-shortages or contact:
Erin R. Fox, PharmD, MHA, BCPS
Associate Chief Pharmacy Officer - Shared Services
University of Utah Drug Information Service
linkedin.com/in/erin-r-fox-utah
@foxerinr.bsky.social
Michael Ganio, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP
Senior Director, Pharmacy Practice and Quality
ASHP
linkedin.com/in/michaelganio
Please contact Dr. Fox for permission to reprint data.
