Island pharmacists feeling the pressure of national drug shortage

Keeping shelves stocked and filling customer prescriptions is becoming more difficult for some Island pharmacists, who say they are feeling the pressure of a national drug shortage. 

Shortages have been a growing challenge for several years, according to Erin MacKenzie, the executive director of the P.E.I. Pharmacists Association. And she says it is adding to pharmacists' already full workloads. 

"Typically when medication is in short supply, what we do is we try to contact some other pharmacies who may have some product left in stock," MacKenzie said. "We've been able to kind of patch the supply in that manner."

Sometimes though, certain medications aren't available at all on the Island, and pharmacists have to consult with physicians to find alternative treatments.  

MacKenzie said medication shortages are now commonplace in Island pharmacies and sharing across locations happens daily.

Pharmacies sharing inventory

Greg Burton, a pharmacist and owner of the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy in Summerside, P.E.I. said he calls on other pharmacies trying to find drugs he needs to fill prescriptions several times a week. And he works with physicians to find alternative treatments a few times a month. 

Something that would normally take five minutes now takes 30 minutes or longer.- Greg Burton

"We've been experiencing this for at least five years or more," Burton said. "But it seems to be increasing over the last couple of years.

"If we look at our list of products we ordered last night … we would probably have 40 or 50 drugs not come in today," Burton said. "That would be from an order of say, 100 items."

He said many pharmacists are also rationing medication or filling smaller prescriptions until a new stock arrives in order to make sure there's enough for everyone who needs it. Burton said this means pharmacies are filling prescriptions more often than they would otherwise need to.

He said ordering medication from distributors has also become a much more complicated task, as he often has to find alternative brands when a drug is in short supply.

"Something that would normally take five minutes now takes 30 minutes or longer," Burton said. "That's not including having to contact patients, contact physicians. Every day when we're talking to patients when they're coming in, letting them know that this drug may look a little different."

He added that giving customers different brands of a drug when a shortage occurs can sometimes lead to confusion. 

'More and more shortages'

MacKenzie said one of the factors driving the shortage is the decrease in the availability of generic drugs.

She said the list of drugs in short supply is long and always changing, which makes it difficult for pharmacists to manage their inventory.

"We are seeing more and more shortages over the last few years," MacKenzie said. "Pharmacists are at the front lines in terms of addressing and mitigating drug shortages so that patients can continue to receive their drug therapy without interruption."

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