Table 1.
Characteristics of reported shortages and included drugs
| Characteristics | Reported shortage (n = 121 814), n (%) | Drug (n = 2368), n (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Dosage form | ||
|
Solutions
|
42 203 (34.6) |
655 (27.7) |
|
Tablets
|
42 150 (34.6) |
702 (29.6) |
|
Powders
|
22 689 (18.6) |
391 (16.5) |
|
Capsules
|
5858 (4.8) |
272 (11.5) |
|
Ointments
|
2312 (1.9) |
51 (2.3) |
|
Others*
|
6602 (5.4) |
297 (12.5) |
| Route of administration | ||
|
Parenteral
|
59 004 (48.4) |
829 (35.0) |
|
Oral
|
49 539 (40.7) |
1142 (48.2) |
|
Cutaneous
|
4525 (3.7) |
175 (7.4) |
|
Ophthalmic
|
4019 (3.3) |
101 (4.3) |
|
Vaginal
|
1607 (1.3) |
45 (1.9) |
|
Others† |
3120 (2.6) |
76 (3.2) |
| Therapeutic area | ||
|
Alimentary tract and metabolism
|
16 904 (13.9) |
397 (16.8) |
|
Nervous system
|
16 502 (13.5) |
289 (12.2) |
|
Cardiovascular system
|
15 633 (12.8) |
235 (9.9) |
|
Antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents
|
14 587 (12.0) |
209 (8.8) |
|
Anti-infectives for systemic use
|
12 160 (10.0) |
284 (12.0) |
|
Others‡ |
46 028 (37.8) |
954 (40.3) |
| Emergency medicine | 13 564 (11.1) | 83 (3.5) |
*Aerosol, drop, emulsion, gel, granule, liquid, patch, pill, suppository, suspension, syrup, tincture, and miscellaneous forms.
†Buccal, haemodialysis, inhalation, nasal, optic, rectal, and sublingual.
‡Antiparasitic products, insecticides and repellents, blood and blood-forming organs, dermatological, genitourinary system and sex hormones, musculoskeletal system, respiratory system, sensory organs, systemic hormonal preparations (excluding sex hormones and insulins), and others.