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. 2021 Jan;17(1):1946-1949.
doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.05.017. Epub 2020 May 19.

Global drug shortages due to COVID-19: Impact on patient care and mitigation strategies

Hisham A Badreldin  1 , Bassam Atallah  2
Affiliations

Global drug shortages due to COVID-19: Impact on patient care and mitigation strategies

Hisham A Badreldin et al. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) arising from Wuhan, China, is currently outbreaking worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic. COVID-19 could cause a wide range of symptoms ranging from self-limiting fever, sore throat, and cough to more severe symptoms that could lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome. As a result of the lockdown and increased demand, drug shortages could become a growing global issue. This article aims to shed light on the potential impact of drug shortages as a result of this pandemic on patient outcomes and the role of pharmacists and pharmacy policymakers in alleviating this emerging problem.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Drug shortage; Pandemic; Pharmacist; Policymaker.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors have no competing interests to declare.

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