ArticlePloS one2019
The impacts of medication shortages on patient outcomes: A scoping review.
Article in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 102 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
102 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Stock-outs of essential medicines among community health workers (CHWs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): a systematic literature review of the extent, reasons, and consequences.Human resources for health · 2022Pooled it
- The consequences of medicine shortages on healthcare utilization and care fragmentation.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2026Article
- Measured and perceived affordability of asthma medications and their associations with medication adherence among adult patients in Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2026Article
- Medicine shortages and glaucoma care: a time-series analysis indicating population-level consequences of a national timolol eye drop shortage.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2026Article
- Healthcare service user-reported quality of care in Malawi: a national multifacility cross-sectional study.BMJ open · 2026Article
- The cost-effectiveness of inventory reserves for preventing drug shortages in Germany: a health-economic evaluation.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Structural Patterns of Antibiotic Shortages: A Cross-National Analysis of Systemic Antibacterials.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Burden and Impact of Drug Shortages in a Saudi Tertiary Hospital: A Single-Center Cross-Sectional Survey.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Drug supply shortages and their perceived consequences for patients: a questionnaire survey of German and Austrian physicians.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2026Article
- Bridging crisis recovery and long-term transformation of the health system in Lebanon: evidence from key informant interviews and global lessons.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Navigating Drug Shortages in Obstetric Care.O&G open · 2026Article
- Patient Experiences With Outpatient Pharmacy Services in Hospitals Using Automated Pharmacy Systems: Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR medical informatics · 2026Article
- How to alleviate the shortage: a scoping review of prevention and management of global drug shortages.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Local systems, local solutions: which factors drive essential medicine availability in public health facilities across Indonesia?BMJ global health · 2026Article
- Protecting clinician autonomy and patient safety within the climate debate: the case for desflurane in modern anaesthesia.Current opinion in anaesthesiology · 2026Review
- Drug supply changes associated with a key policy on drug shortages in China: evidence from an interrupted time-series study.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
- Observational
- Impact of drug shortages on the work of hospital pharmacists in Japan.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2026Article
- From 60 Causes to 10 Solutions Against Antibiotics Shortages in Sweden: Platinea's Approach to Developing Policy Interventions.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The association between drug shortages and prices across 74 countries: uncovering global access inequities.BMJ global health · 2025Article
42 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn recent years, medication shortages have become a growing worldwide issue. This scoping review aimed to systematically synthesise the literature to report on the economic, clinical, and humanistic impacts of medication shortages on patient outcomes.
methodsMedline, Embase, Global Health, PsycINFO and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts were searched using the two key concepts of medicine shortage and patient outcomes. Articles were limited to the English language, human studies and there were no limits to the year of publication. Manuscripts included contained information regarding the shortage of a scheduled medication and had gathered data regarding the economic, clinical, and/or humanistic outcomes of drug shortages on human patients.
findingsWe found that drug shortages were predominantly reported to have adverse economic, clinical and humanistic outcomes to patients. Patients were more commonly reported to have increased out of pocket costs, rates of drug errors, adverse events, mortality, and complaints during times of shortage. There were also reports of equivalent and improved patient outcomes in some cases.
conclusionsThe results of this review provide valuable insights into the impact drug shortages have on patient outcomes. The majority of studies reported medication shortages resulted in negative patient clinical, economic and humanistic outcomes.
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Registered trials
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 OpenQuestion graph.