Summary
- U.S. drug shortages remain widespread in June 2026, with 187 active shortages as of May 20, down slightly from earlier in the year. New shortages continue to affect cancer drugs, pain medications, contrast agents, and hormone therapies.
- Injectable medicines remain the most vulnerable category, making up 63% of drugs on the 2025 Vulnerable Medicine List, while long-running shortages continue for ADHD medications, sterile saline, Bicillin L-A, and estrogen patches.
- Drug shortages are increasing pressure on patients, providers, and health systems through treatment delays, substitution challenges, and nearly $900 million in annual labor costs, while AI-based supply chain monitoring may help identify disruptions earlier.
What drugs are currently in shortage?
As of May 20, 2026, there are 187 drug shortages, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. This is down from 195 on February 27, 2026.
Several new drugs went into shortage during April and May. Some of these include:
- Benzphetamine hydrochloride tablets- an appetite suppressant
- Oxaliplatin injection-used with other drugs to treat advanced cancer of the colon or rectum
- Ifosfamide injection– used with other drugs to treat cancer of the testicles
- Morphine sulfate extended-release tablets– used to manage severe, chronic pain
- Romidepsin injection kits– used to treat cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in patients who have received at least one previous treatment
- Ioversol injection– used to help diagnose problems with blood vessels, organs, or tissues in the body
- Iohexol injection– a contrast agent used to create pictures of different body parts during some types of medical procedures
- Lidocaine with epinephrine injection– an injection that causes numbness or loss of feeling for people having surgery or for some procedures
- Flumazenil injection– reverses the effects of benzodiazepines and can also be used to treat overdoses
- Progesterone capsules– helps prevent changes in uterus in women who take conjugated estrogen after menopause, regulates menstrual cycle in women who are menstruating, and treats amenorrhea in women who are menstruating
What drug classes are in shortage?
The US Pharmacopeia (USP) recently performed an analysis called the 2025 Vulnerable Medicine List, which found that there are 100 “clinically important medicines” most at risk of disruption. About 30% of these 100 drugs are currently in shortage. According to the list, injectable drugs make up 63% of these vulnerable medicines. Drugs that come in tablet or capsule form make up 22% of vulnerable medicines.
A recent study reviewed drug shortages between 2001 and June 2024 and found that ophthalmic medications make up about 15% of drug shortages.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications have been in shortage for about four years. A recent report indicated that the causes for the shortage were production cutbacks in some manufacturers and a reduction of imports of raw amphetamines and slight declines in phenylacetone, a controlled substance.
Sterile saline and components of parenteral nutrition have also been in shortage for long periods of time.
In March 2026, the FDA noted the limited availability of Bicillin® L-A, a type of penicillin which is the only recommended treatment for pregnant women and babies with congenital syphilis. The shortage of this drug is expected to continue through the end of 2027.
Additionally, estrogen patches to treat menopause symptoms have been in shortage, and that shortage could last up to three years. In November 2025, the FDA removed a black box warning for them and use of these patches increased.
What are the effects of drug shortages?
Drug shortages can have a profound impact on people. For example, one in every 10 people with cancer noted that they were affected by drug shortages. Specifically, nearly 70% said they had trouble finding a substitute for their medication and 45% said they encountered delays in treatment.
People living in pharmacy deserts can be at risk, too. When people live in areas with little pharmacy access, they may not have the option to travel to various local pharmacies to try to find one that has their medicine in stock. People in well-serviced urban areas often won’t have to face this issue. (To see VytlOne’s coverage of pharmacy deserts, please go to Pharmacy Deserts: An Update for 2026).
Shortages can also have an impact on healthcare costs. U.S. hospitals said that they spent about 20 million hours per year in 2024 managing shortages while associated costs came to almost $900 million. Labor costs related to drug shortages were $894 million in 2024.
How are local and world events impacting drug shortages?
The war in Iran, which began earlier this year, could worsen drug shortages by disrupting global supply chains. Many essential medicines—especially low-cost generics—depend on active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and chemical precursors sourced from or shipped through the Middle East and South Asia, which often move through the Strait of Hormuz. Military conflict could interrupt shipping, drive up energy and insurance costs, and limit access to petrochemicals used in drug manufacturing. That, in turn, could raise production costs.
Additionally, the Trump administration’s tariff policies could affect drug shortages. The U.S. relies heavily on foreign countries to manufacture both APIs and finished drug products. China, for example, supplies a large percentage of APIs and India produces a large percentage of generic medicines. Tariffs on these imports could drive up manufacturing costs. Because generic drugmakers operate on such thin margins, even minor cost increases could make it economically unwise to produce generics—and then the companies could decide to discontinue making them. Branded drugs may absorb those costs through price increases.
Europe is also tackling the issue of drug shortages. In May, the EU Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement related to the increase in supplies of critical medicines and management of possible drug shortages. The region hopes to lessen its reliance on India, China, and the U.S. It also wants to reduce the burden on member states to request supplies and to more freely share information about supplies.
Can AI be used in drug shortage management?
AI can now be used to find potential supply chain disruptions. This could mean that instead of simply reacting to drug shortages, preventing them may be possible due to earlier identification of supply chain issues. Better insight into data related to sourcing and distribution could help pharmacists make faster decisions before shortages become problematic.
While the total number of drug shortages has declined slightly, new shortages and long-term supply gaps indicate a fragile supply system. Structural challenges continue to have an impact on access to essential medications.
VytlOne actively monitors drug shortages and proactively identifies alternatives to reduce patient impact.