The vast majority of Australian pharmacists have reported delaying patient treatments due to the need to manage medicine shortages.
A national survey, conducted by University of South Australia (UniSA), found the shortages were increasing patient stress as well as pharmacists’ workloads, with 89.5 percent of pharmacists forced to source medicines from non-regular wholesalers at least weekly.
UniSA lecturer in pharmacy, Dr Jack Janetzki, said more than 90 percent of pharmacists reported frequent delays in patient treatment due to low stock.
“Medicine shortages not only place an operational strain on pharmacists, but also create ethical dilemmas,” Dr Janetzki said.
“Pharmacists must navigate between ensuring equitable access and maintaining regulatory compliance, often with limited resources.”
He said because more than 90 percent of medicines were imported into Australia, logistical supply issues during the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected pharmaceutical stocks.
“While this has eased, social media posts have created a significant demand for weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, where supplies remain low.”
Dr Janetzki said the recent increase in diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) had also contributed to shortages of medicines used to treat ADHD.
“Raw materials to make medications are also in short supply, exacerbated by manufacturing and transportation issues.”
He said data from the Therapeutic Goods Administration showed that in November 2023, 444 medicines were in short supply in Australia, 47 percent of which had been difficult to obtain since the beginning of 2022.
“Although some of these shortages have been resolved in the past 12 months, 419 medicines are currently on this list, with supplies for 61 of them expected to be impacted in the next few months and years.”
Dr Janetzki said when faced with restrictions, pharmacists had limited options.
“They can contact the doctor asking them to prescribe an alternative medicine, approach different wholesalers other than their regular suppliers, or refer the patient to a different pharmacy, hoping they can help them. It’s not an ideal situation.”
Explore all the survey results: Impact of medicine shortages on Australian pharmacists’ professional practice and patient care: a nationwide survey.
