Tag: drug shortages

Congress is proposing two bills to tackle drug and healthcare provider shortages, but a historic government shutdown has stalled progress. Here’s what’s in the laws, why they’re stuck, and what it means for patients.

When drugs are unavailable due to shortages or allergies, compounding pharmacies create custom medications tailored to individual needs-offering solutions like allergen-free formulas, flavored liquids, and precise dosages that big manufacturers can't provide.

In 2025, the U.S. government is expanding its API stockpile and using AI to predict drug shortages, but critics say these efforts fail to fix the root causes-foreign dependence, weak incentives for manufacturers, and lack of redundancy in production.

As of 2025, over 270 medications remain in short supply in the U.S., including IV fluids, chemotherapy drugs, and antibiotics. Learn which drugs are hardest to find, why shortages persist, and what patients and providers can do.