EAHP’s 2014 survey of medicines shortages in European hospitals was the largest investigation of its kind, with over 600 responses from 36 European countries.

Headline findings include:

• 86% of hospital pharmacists reported that medicines shortages are a current problem in the hospital they work in, in terms of providing the best care to patients and/or operating the hospital pharmacy
• 66% of respondents said that medicines shortages affect their hospital pharmacy on a daily or weekly basis
• Antimicrobial agents, oncology products, emergency medicines, cardiovascular medicines and anaesthetic agents are the top affected 
• 75.4% of hospital pharmacists either agreed or stongly agreed with the statement “medicines shortages in my hospital are having a negative impact on patient care.”
• 63% of hospital pharmacists estimate that the typical medicines shortage normally lasts for a number of weeks
• Reported impacts for patients include delayed or interrupted chemotherapy treatment, unnecessary experience by patients of side effects, heightened clostridium difficile risk and deterioration in patients’ conditions. 

Full report HERE.

Press release HERE.

Infographic HERE 

Video HERE.