RT Journal
A1 Kuehn BM
T1 DEspite curbing new drug shortages, shortfall of drugs a persistent problem
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2013
FD February 13
VO 309
IS 6
SP 532
OP 533
DO 10.1001/jama.2012.216795
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.216795
AB 
“On a weekly basis, [health care workers] are dealing with very significant shortages of important drugs,” explained Marc H. Scheetz, PharmD, associate professor of pharmacy practice at Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy, in Downers Grove, Ill. Scheetz, Milena (Griffith) McLaughlin, PharmD (an infectious disease pharmacotherapy fellow), and colleagues published a review of anti-infective shortages in 2012 (Griffith MM et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2012;54[5]:684-691). Anti-infective drugs are often “irreplaceable,” said Scheetz, who said that he has heard anecdotal reports of patients being harmed or even dying because the preferred drug for treating their condition was unavailable. Scheetz and his colleagues are trying to collect reports of patient harm caused by shortages, to better quantify this problem (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/antimicrobialshortages).