Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38500149›Full record

ArticleIsrael journal of health policy research2024

Drug shortages in Israel, revisited: a bitter pill to swallow.

Eyal Schwartzberg, Eli Marom, Alla Vishkautzan, Einat Gorelik, Segev Shani

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Israel journal of health policy research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Eyal SchwartzbergSchool of Pharmacy, Health Sciences Faculty, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel. s.eyal11@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8588-7223
Eli MaromPharmaceutical Division, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel.
Alla VishkautzanPharmacovigilance and Risk Management Department, Pharmaceutical Division, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel.
Einat GorelikPharmacovigilance and Risk Management Department, Pharmaceutical Division, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel.
Segev ShaniDepartment of Health Management and Policy, Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management and Health Sciences Faculty, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn 2017, we published an article addressing drug shortages (DS) in Israel, exploring regulatory perspectives, challenges, and potential solutions. Since then, DS remain a significant concern for patients, healthcare providers, and policymakers globally. In this updated article, we revisit the topic, providing new insights, data, and analysis on the current DS landscape in Israel, efforts to mitigate them, and propose strategies to combat this escalating issue.

methodsWe conducted a comprehensive search of the Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH) DS database, spanning from 2014 to the present. We extracted DS numbers and their reasons. Further searches on the Israeli MOH website, pharmaceutical division archives, and the internet yielded official MOH publications and correspondence regarding regulatory responses to DS from 2017 onwards. Additionally, two specific cases of DS were examined to analyze their handling. Recent activities and publications from the Israeli MOH aimed at reducing DS were also reviewed.

resultsBetween 2014 and 2022, DS surged 2.66-fold. Total DS were 3228; 672 due to commercial reasons, and 2556 to operational reasons (20.5% and 79.5% respectively). The average duration of intermittent DS increased 1.56-fold, from 85 to 133 days. Manufacturers informed the MOH 22 days prior to actual shortage on average. Analyzing 2022's DS (640) by ATC groups, prominent categories included nervous system drugs (18%), drugs acting on the alimentary tract and metabolism (14%), and dermatologicals (11%). Operational DS in 2022 (n = 564) were primarily due to stock delivery delays (38%), stock over-utilization (12%), and raw material shortages (9%). Sixteen official MOH publications on DS were identified from 2017 onwards. Moreover, two high-impact DS case studies were examined.

conclusionDespite routine monitoring by the Israeli MOH and updating the DS policy throughout this period, DS persist, intensifying annually and posing serious health risks. This trend mirrors international patterns, affecting countries globally. In Israel's uniquely structured healthcare system, with its swift stakeholder cooperation and implementation capabilities, more effective DS management is conceivable. We propose ten universally applicable rules to address DS challenges.

Indexed as

Health PersonnelHumansIsraelPharmaceutical PreparationsPharmaceutical PreparationsDrug shortagesHealthcare systemMitigation strategiesPatient accessRegulatory perspectives

Identifiers

PMID38500149
PMCPMC10946123

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.