Drug Shortage Update: Q1 2026

March 5, 2026

Summary

The U.S. healthcare system continues to struggle with drug shortages, although the overall number of shortages has decreased recently.
As of February 27, 2026, there are 195 drug shortages—down from 226 in July 2025 and 323 at the start of 2024, but the issue remains a public health crisis.
Eleven new drugs entered shortage between January and February 2026, impacting treatment for conditions such as heart failure, hypertension, nausea, gout, menopause symptoms, and ulcerative colitis.

What’s the current state of drug shortages in the U.S.?

Drug shortages have been a persistent problem in the U.S. healthcare system for years. In 2026, the picture is mixed. While the number of shortages has been decreasing, there are still major shortages and many of the reasons for those shortages haven’t been fixed.

As of February 27, 2026, there are 195 drug shortages, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. This is down from 226 on July 1, 2025. At the beginning of 2024, there were 323 drug shortages, one of the highest levels recorded. The American College of Physicians declared drug shortages a public health crisis in August 2025.

Eleven new drugs went into shortage from January 1 to February 27, 2026. They are:

Furosemide oral solution– to treat fluid retention and swelling caused by congestive heart failure, live disease, kidney disease, or other conditions
Epoprostenol injection– to treat certain types of arterial hypertension
Trimethobenzamide injection– to treat nausea and vomiting
Disopyramide phosphate controlled-release capsules– to treat ventricular arrythmia, including sustained ventricular tachycardia
Colchicine oral liquid– to prevent gout attacks
Estradiol transdermal system– to treat moderate to severe symptoms of menopause
Mesalamine extended-release capsules– to treat ulcerative colitis
Iothalamate meglumine 17.2% (injection)– to help diagnose or find problems in brain, back, heart, head, blood vessels, stomach, joints, pancreas, bladder, and other parts of the body
Conjugated estrogens injection– to treat abnormal bleeding from the uterus caused by hormonal imbalance when no other cause of bleeding has been found
Moxifloxacin injection– to treat bacterial infections and to treat and prevent plague
Azithromycin injection– to treat bacterial infections and to prevent Mycobacterium avium complex disease with people with HIV

Effects of drug shortages

While the number of drug shortages has been going down, shortages can still create issues. A July 2024 to August 2024 survey of primary care doctors affected by drug shortages showed the impact:

Eighty-seven percent of doctors reported that shortages were associated with a change in quality of care.
Doctors were more likely to alter the drug of choice than to postpone prescribing.
Doctors said that they needed more staff to manage the increased workload.

Hospital pharmacies are also affected. A report released in January 2026 showed that the biggest operational challenge for these pharmacies was managing drug shortages.

How different drugs are impacted

An analysis of drug shortages from 2018 to 2023 showed that injectable drug products made up half of all drug shortages. Oral drug products made up slightly over 42% of drugs in shortage and topical products almost 8%. This analysis also found that drug shortages last about twice as long for injectables as for oral products.

There are currently about 15 cancer drugs with shortages between 2023 and 2025. Fourteen of those were injectable, and 12 were in shortage for more than two years.

Some drugs have been in shortage for many years. Examples of drugs that have been in shortage for over 10 years include :

Dexamethasone sodium phosphate injection, which treats inflammation in the organs.
Leucovorin calcium injection, which is used as an antidote to methotrexate, a cancer medicine.
Vancomycin hydrochloride injection, which treats infections.

Examples of drugs that have been in shortage for over five years include:

Lorazepam tablets, which are used to treat anxiety disorders.
Fentanyl citrate injection, which is used to treat severe pain during and after surgery.
Hydromorphone hydrochloride injection, which is used to relieve severe pain.

Recent news

In February 2026, the government started accepting requests to participate in the FDA PreCheck pilot program. This program hopes to lower regulatory barriers for manufacturing facilities in the U.S. with the end goal of strengthening the American drug supply chain.

Also in February, Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia introduced the Growing America’s Pharmaceutical Supply Act in the House of Representatives. The Act aims to amend section 503B of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and “…enhance the ability of outsourcing facilities to mitigate drug shortages by allowing a short-term period to continue supplying the market after a drug is in shortage.”

The ongoing tug of war over tariffs could also have an impact. Over 45% of generic drugs come from India. China has 8% of the total volume of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and over 40% of branded pharmaceutical API come from the European Union (EU). As of early November 2025, exports from India to the U.S. had a 50% tariff rate and exports from China had a 47% tariff rate. In August 2025, a trade framework between the U.S. and the EU was formalized. Pharmaceuticals from the EU were to be charged a 15% tariff or Most Favored Nation (MFN) pricing, whichever was higher. MFN pricing on generic drugs and API went into effect on September 1, 2025.

But on February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down tariffs. Later that day, the president signed an executive order that instituted a tariff rate of 10% for all countries. That went into effect on February 24, and there are plans to raise that rate to 15%.

Addressing shortages requires coordination among many stakeholders, including manufacturers, healthcare providers, and governments. For both patients and providers, stayed informed about shortages and planning ahead is key in 2026.

VytlOne actively monitors drug shortages and proactively identifies alternatives to reduce patient impact.