sandoz launches new initiative tackling drug shortages in canada
shortages in medicines have a profound effect on surgery wait times, patient recovery and overall quality of life
4 minute read
“our vision is to create a canadian list of medicines that would never again be out of stock,” says michel robidoux, president and general manager at sandoz canada. supplied
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sandoz canada inc.
this story was created by content works, postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of a client.
canadians are no strangers to drug shortages, a problem that’s been growing in scale over the past several years. as a global issue, both domestic and international drug manufacturers are affected.
“there is not a day that goes by without backorders and supply shortages,” says michel robidoux, president and general manager at sandoz canada. “these issues are affecting health-care professionals, pharmacists and ultimately, patients.”
according to robidoux, the issue has escalated to the point that a few years ago, health canada created a team and an office dedicated to mitigating drug shortages, which now requires drug manufacturers to report, in advance, their anticipated shortages on the health canada website.
shortages affected over one-quarter of all drugs sold in canada between 2017 and 2020, according to a study conducted by the patented medicine prices review board. during that time, the drug shortages canada website received over 8,500 reports of shortages from canadian pharmaceutical manufacturers.
the fallout from shortages can have a significant impact on healthcare delivery and patients. “without the appropriate supply of a critical medicine, a patient’s surgery may have to be delayed, or their chronic disease may go untreated,” adds robidoux.
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to address this pressing issue, sandoz canada brought a group of clinicians from across the country together to develop a list of the top 100 most important medicines that must remain accessible for canadians. the multidisciplinary group tasked with identifying these medicines included an infectious disease specialist, a cardiovascular surgeon, an emergency physician, a general practitioner, an anesthetist, an oncologist, community and hospital pharmacists, and a pediatric/prenatal pharmacist.
leading this expert group is dr. régis vaillancourt, a pharmacist and chair of the top 100 medicines initiative and former president of the ontario college of pharmacists. as a professional in the field who sees the impacts of shortages on patients firsthand, dr. vaillancourt is optimistic about this initiative. “we’re one step closer to addressing supply issues and sharpening our focus on a select number of molecules that canadians need reliable access to.”
dr. régis vaillancourt is a pharmacist and chair of the top 100 medicines initiative. supplied
this project is the first of its kind in canada and could potentially set a precedent for others to follow. “our vision is to create a canadian list of medicines that would never again be out of stock,” says robidoux. “as a global leader in pharmaceuticals, we feel we have the expertise and agility to move quickly into problem solving to the benefit of all stakeholders within the healthcare continuum. and most importantly, we value best patient care.”
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criteria for selection included the criticality of the drug — like those used in surgical procedures and in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, cancer and infectious diseases — and its prevalence of use within the population. from the top 100 list, sandoz canada will establish the history and profile of these medications, including their backorders, sources and volumes, and suggest specific approaches for each to secure their supply in the future.
among the 100 drugs identified in the list, 25 per cent of all molecules are considered high risk for shortages and 30 per cent constitute a medium risk of shortages. molecules span therapeutic areas like corticosteroids, antibiotics, anesthetics, chemotherapeutics, hormonal therapies, and antivirals.
many of the drugs on this list are used by healthcare professionals to treat several different diseases that impact a large percentage of canadians. prednisone, a corticosteroid that can be used to treat patients suffering with asthma, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis, is a critical medication that is considered at high risk of shortage. aspirin, an antiplatelet used to prevent heart attack, currently constitutes a medium risk of shortage.
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the issues around shortages are extremely complicated and can involve multiple constituents within the supply chain, from ingredients suppliers and manufactures, to wholesalers and retailers. reasons for shortages can relate to quality issues, distribution or production issues, ingredient shortages and lack of forecasting, among many others.
“with any shortage, it is impossible to pinpoint a single cause,” says robidoux. “now that we have consensus of the list, our plan is to take a deeper dive into each drug’s history of shortages starting with the frequency or type of shortage, and then perform advanced diagnostics to determine root causes.”
he stresses that sandoz canada is taking the lead on this project with the hope of igniting a process that is critically needed in canada and around the world. “we want to lead the way and partner with stakeholders, like pharmaceutical associations, large retailers, and buying groups, in the hopes it will create a snowball effect and be embraced by even more people.”
for dr. vaillancourt, this type of cross-industry partnership is key to developing meaningful solutions. “no organization can manage a feat of this size by itself,” says dr. vaillancourt. “ongoing public and private collaboration is needed to ensure that solutions can be implemented in a real-world environment to improve access to the medications canadians need most.”
angelique berg, president and ceo at the canadian association for pharmacy distribution management. supplied
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“collaborators from government, drug manufacturers, and distributors have developed various strategies to prevent drug shortages to ease the enormous strain on the supply chain and ensure stability,” says angelique berg, president and ceo at the canadian association for pharmacy distribution management. “with this top 100 list, those strategies can be tested, bringing us closer to sustained accessibility for patients and the professionals who treat them.”
ultimately it is patients that are at the heart of this initiative.
“our dream of never seeing those drugs on backorder again will mean that patients won’t have to worry about having enough supply for themselves or their families. at the end of the day, they should be focusing on their recovery and quality of life, and not have to live with the added stress of fighting for their critical treatments,” concludes robidoux.
this story was created by content works, healthing’s commercial content division, on behalf of sandoz canada inc.
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