Beware One Secondary Concern Regarding COVID-19: Drug Shortages

COVID-19 is capturing the public’s attention more than any other health crisis right now. The concern, warranted or not, is that a worldwide pandemic will prove more deadly than any other outbreak in recent history. A more immediate, albeit secondary concern, as noted in an article just published online by Forbes, is that a variety of factors could conspire to create dangerous drug shortages. According to the Food and Drug Administration, one medication is already in short supply. While they won’t name the drug, the FDA acknowledges the shortage is due to a manufacturing issue with a pharmaceutical ingredient related to a site affected by coronavirus. Given that so many ingredients for antibiotics originate in China, where COVID-19 is more prevalent than anywhere in the world, a scarcity there could have serious implications in the U.S. and internationally. Supply chain issues could also affect other prescription and over-the-counter medications used to treat for diagnoses secondary to COVID-19. Further, as the Forbes article points out, other countries known for producing certain types of drugs—India being the leading producer of high-volume, sterile injectable drugs for one—also source key ingredients from China. The best course of action for urgent care clinicians is to prescribe medications only when indicated by current applicable guidelines, in line with the industry’s ongoing commitment to antibiotic stewardship.