Many U.S. hospitals are struggling to find chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics and other lifesaving treatments amid an escalating nationwide drug shortage crisis, as experts increasingly call for federal government action.
About 1 in 3 hospitals say they’ve either skipped, delayed or prescribed less medication to patients than was needed because of the supply gaps, according to a survey published Thursday by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, a group that tracks U.S. drug shortages. Almost all hospitals in the survey say patient care is affected in some way.
“Drug shortages are having a significant clinical impact,” said Michael Ganio, senior director of pharmacy practice and quality at the group. “It’s just heartbreaking to see that patients are being affected to this level with the shortages.”
The survey’s findings were based on responses from more than 1,100 hospital and health-system pharmacists in the U.S. from June 23 through July 14. Among the hospitals, 41% had 500 beds or more.
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