A survey of Canadian pharmacists conducted last year revealed that drug shortages are becoming more common. More than 90% of respondents said they experienced trouble tracking down a medication in the previous week and almost all respondents said they had seen deterioration in the previous year. To address this serious issue, pharmaceutical companies have agreed to pool information on drug shortages and pending shortages, and then post the details on two existing public websites. They also pledged to build a more comprehensive one-stop website that will become a permanent, reliable source of information about drug shortages, as long as Health Canada helps with funding.
