Reports of drug shortages date back many years and there are numerous reasons for shortages in a crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. ASHP’s (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists®) Drug Shortages Database is a leading source of evidence-based drug shortage information for both professional health care workers and consumers. Drug Shortages is copyrighted by the Drug Information Service of the University of Utah and is distributed by ASHP.
ASHP’s Drug Shortages Database includes:
- Over 300 shortage bulletins on drugs, biologics, devices, and specific dose forms
- The only source of drug shortage information that includes recommendations for alternative therapies
- Active monitoring and regular communication with manufacturers for ongoing shortages
- Daily updates
*List derived from American Society of Health-System Pharmacists®
How is ASHP’s Drug Shortages different from the FDA’s CDER (Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research) website? For instance, Drug Shortages lists more drugs and provides help for managing shortages. For more information about the differences, see the FDA and ASHP Shortage Parameters comparison chart.
The HSLS subscription to TDS (Teton Data System) Health’s STAT!Ref database now includes access to the ASHP Drug Shortages Database.
Each drug product includes the following sections:
- Find the Drug in STAT!Ref: Provides the ability to search a drug in the STAT!Ref database from Drug Shortages. Among the authoritative drug resources included in the HSLS subscription are AHFS DRUG INFORMATION® (2020), ASHP® Injectable Drug Information™ (2021), and the DRUGPOINTS® SYSTEM.
- Articles: Lists products by date of inclusion. After clicking on a product, you’ll see information for:
- Affected Products
- Available Products
- Estimated Resupply Dates
- Reason for Shortage
- Updated
- Alert Preferences: A STAT!Ref Profile Account is required to use this feature. With a Profile account, you can customize your account settings, create e-mail alerts, and access STAT!Ref from a mobile device.
- RSS Feeds: Subscribe to the Drug Shortages RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Feeds.
- Report a Drug Shortage: You can report a drug shortage.
ASHP Drug Shortages is listed on the HSLS Databases A-Z web page, and also appears as a panel on the STAT!Ref homepage. It can also be accessed from the “Resources” dropdown menu on any STAT!Ref page.
More information about the ASHP Drug Shortages Database and links to handouts is available on the TDS Health website. For questions, please contact Ask a Librarian.
~Jill Foust