Drug Shortages Update: September 2026

Summary

As of August 26, 2026, there are 192 drug shortages according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). This is up slightly from 187 on May 20.

Drug shortages have been lasting longer and longer of late. In 2025, the average length of a drug shortage was 5.3 years while it was 4.3 years in 2024. In 2019, the average length was about 2 years.

What drugs are currently in shortage?

Some drugs that went into shortage in July and August include:

1. Tocilizumab-aazg injection, which treats moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis
2. Calcitriol injection, which prevents and treats low calcium levels in people with kidney disease
3. Adalimumab-ryvk subcutaneous injection, which treats the symptoms of and prevents the progression of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis
4. Iodixanol injection, which is used to help find or diagnose problems in the brain, heart, head, blood vessels, kidney, bladder, and other body parts
5. Methohexital injection, which causes drowsiness before and after a procedure
6. Rifampin injection, which is used with other medicines to treat tuberculosis infections in many parts of the body
7. Pegfilgrastim-bmez injection, which is used to treat neutropenia caused by cancer medications
8. Terbutaline sulfate injection, which is used to prevent bronchospasm in people age 12 and up with asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and other lung diseases
9. Sufentanil injection, which is used to relieve pain during and after surgery or other medical procedures
10. Pentostatin injection, which is used to treat hairy cell leukemia
11. Tuberculin intradermal injection, which is used to help diagnose tuberculosis in people at increased risk of developing active disease
12. Iopamidol injection, which is a contrast agent used in procedures like CT scans and x-rays

Additionally, many drugs are being discontinued. The number of discontinuations went up 60% to 170 in 2025 from 106 in 2024. That is the highest level of discontinued drugs since 2019. The reasons for discontinuation vary. Reyvow™ (lasmiditan), a migraine medicine, was discontinued early this year. The reasons for the discontinuation include post-marketing requirements, changes in the migraine treatment market, and availability of other therapies. Vizimpro® (dacomitinib), which treats metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, has been discontinued because oncologists preferred other drugs. Emtriva® (emtricitabine), an antiretroviral used to treat HIV, was discontinued in June because combination therapies have been replacing single agents.

What drug classes remain in shortage?

Data shows that medicines for the central nervous system have the most active shortages. This is followed by antimicrobial medicines in second place. Chemotherapy and hormonal agents are tied for third with the most shortages. Controlled substances make up 16% of current shortages. Contrast agents that are used for CTs and MRIs make up 10% of new shortages this year.

Additionally, several generic chemotherapy drugs are in shortage, including ifosfamide, carboplastin, cisplatin, and  oxaliplatin. Cisplatin and carboplatin are often prescribed for patients with ovarian, bladder, breast, lung, and other cancers. Ifosfamide treats various cancers like sarcomas, lymphomas, and testicular cancer.

In June 2026, hospital fill rates were 66% for cisplatin and 37% for ifosfamide. A fill rate under 80% is considered problematic. Some doses of ifosfamide are expected to become available this month while other doses are expected to become available in October.  In the meantime, doctors have sometimes had to make decisions about who gets ifosfamide and who does not. Various reasons are behind these particular shortages including supply issues, shipping delays, manufacturing issues, and corporate decisions.

Pediatric hospitals are also experiencing drug shortages. These hospitals face 25% more shortages than other facilities.

Two medications to treat Pompe disease, a genetic glycogen storage disease, recently went into shortage because of manufacturing and quality control issues. The two drugs are Myozyme® and Nexviazyme®.

Shortages for menopause medicines have also become an issue this year. According to a recent study, use of hormone therapy went from 1.7% in January 2017 to 3.6% in April 2026. More women have been  requesting these medications after a black box warning label for medicines containing estrogen was removed in late 2025.

Some shortages have been going on for long periods of time. About 13 drugs have been in shortage since 2015, one drug since 2016, and seven drugs since 2017, according to ASHP. Additionally, 19 drugs have been in shortage since 2022 and 35 since 2023.

How are local and world events impacting drug shortages?

In April 2026, the White House announced a tariff framework for certain patented imported medications and some active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). In July 2026, the White House announced tariffs on generics. These tariffs became effective on August 1, starting at 0% for two years, 100% for one year, and 200% from then on. Branded drugs generally have enough margin to absorb the costs. But generic manufacturers operate on thin margins. There are concerns that some generic medications could become unprofitable to produce and get taken off the market.

The U.S. conflict with Iran disrupted two critical pharmaceutical logistics corridors this year,  the Strait of Hormuz and major Gulf air cargo hubs. This drove up shipping costs and transit times for ingredients moving from India and other manufacturing hubs. These events show how exposed the generic drug supply chain is to disruptions in transit, even when domestic manufacturing isn’t directly affected.

The API Innovation Center (APIIC), founded in 2021 in St. Louis, is a nonprofit corporation and public benefit organization backed by research and dedicated to ensuring a stable, U.S.-based supply of APIs to strengthen national health security. Earlier this year, APIIC released a white paper that discussed a way  to secure the generic drug supply chain in the United States. In the paper, APIIC’s National Fragility Index (NFI)  was proposed. The NFI is designed to quantify supply chain risk and determine where the most vulnerabilities are. The NFI scores medications on factors like geographic concentration and purchasing behaviors with the goal of giving manufacturers, procurement teams, and policymakers insight into the market and where diversification or investment could help. The goal is to prevent shortages before they start.

Drug shortage outlook for rest of 2026

Several factors may affect drug supply through the fourth quarter of 2026. Coordinated action among manufacturers, healthcare providers, and government remains key to managing drug shortages. Shortage trends change from quarter to quarter, so staying informed going into the fourth quarter is important.

The July 2026 generics tariff framework is still working through the supply chain. Continued disruption through the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf air cargo corridors could keep transit times and shipping costs high for API imports. This could especially affect generic sterile injectables and oncology drugs. New shortages and long-term supply gaps show that the supply system can be fragile.

Coordinated action among manufacturers, healthcare providers, and government remains central to managing drug shortages. Shortage trends shift from quarter to quarter, so staying informed going into the fourth quarter of the year is important.

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

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