Asian Journal Of Social Pharmacy

Abstract: Objective To study the current situation and the root cause of drug shortage in China, and put forward countermeasures and suggestions accordingly for relevant national policy decisions. Methods Based on literature research, questionnaire survey and expert consultation, the causes of drug shortage in China were comprehensively investigated, and fishbone diagram was used to further analyze the logical relationship among the causes. Results and Conclusion The main reasons for the shortage of drugs are the low profit of production enterprises and insufficient active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). The other reasons include uncertain demand, standard problem and few exclusive manufacturers. Besides, the monopoly of circulation enterprises also leads to the shortage of drugs to a certain extent. It is suggested that we should increase the punishment of monopoly, optimize the market environment, and establish a reasonable drug price mechanism. In addition, enterprises should participate in the information communication platform of medical institutions to solve the asymmetry between supply and demand. The research on clinical drugs to substitute drugs in need should be strengthened, and the reporting system of drug discontinuation should be improved.

Key words: drug shortage, causes, preventive measure