Report: Drug Shortages Cost Hospitals $200M Annually
Prescription drug shortages cost hospitals about $200 million annually and put patients at a higher risk for medication errors, according to an analysis by Premier Healthcare Alliance. The report found that more than 240 drugs were in limited supply or were unavailable in 2010, a 300% increase over 2005. In addition, more than 400 generic drugs were backordered for more than five days last year, according to the analysis.
- "The Cost of Drug Shortages" (Dooren, "Health Blog," Wall Street Journal, 3/28).
- "Rx Drug Shortages Hit All-Time High" (Walker, MedPage Today, 3/28).
- "Hospital Drug Shortages Reach 10-Year High, Cost Hospitals $200M Annually" (Clark, HealthLeaders Media, 3/30).