To mitigate drug shortages, a new study suggests looking at Canada

Of 104 reports of supply chain issues with dozens of drugs, meaningful shortages were 40% less likely to occur in Canada than in the U.S., a new study found, and the difference was largely attributed to the approach taken by the Canadian government to the problem.

Between 2017 and 2021, regulators in the U.S. and Canada received the same number of reports about actual or potential shortages for the same 96 medicines. Within a year, 49% of the 104 related reports received by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration were associated with a meaningful shortage, but only 34% of the reports for the same drugs filed with Health Canada reached that stage, according to the study published in JAMA.

The study also found that, after combining reports of supply chain issues from both the U.S. and Canada, the shortage risk was nearly half for so-called Tier 3 medicines in Canada. This refers to shortages that have the greatest potential impact on Canada’s drug supply and health care system. A dedicated government committee oversees the process for assessing the risk and impact, and for taking action.