Araniy Santhireswaran, PhD candidate, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

Supervised by Mina Tadrous, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and Étienne Gaudette, Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Project Title: Impact of Canadian drug shortages on drug utilization and clinical outcomes

Project Summary: Drug shortages are a growing concern in Canada. Over 13,000 drugs were at risk for shortage over the last five years, with almost half facing at least one shortage. Drug shortages are a multifaceted global problem which can be attributed to the complex multinational drug supply chain. Weaknesses of this drug supply chain have been highlighted during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, seen as supply chain disruptions and inequitable allocation of treatments. Poor pandemic readiness and resilience led to increased shortages and impaired patient access to medicines. However, two years after the pandemic, shortages continue to impact the healthcare system and the quality of care delivered. The impact of shortages on drug utilization trends is understudied, making it difficult to comprehend the manifestation of shortages at the patient level. Our project aims to 1) understand the impact of drug supply disruptions on drug utilization reported in observational studies, 2) describe drug utilization trends in response to Canadian shortages and develop a predictive model to anticipate shortage-risk, 3) Investigate the impact of the ranitidine recall on the delivery of treatment and clinical outcomes. These finding will generate the necessary real-world evidence to guide policy decisions on shortage mitigation strategies ensuring pandemic preparedness, and resilience.