Tue 17 February 2026
Clinicians call for national advisory line to manage medicines shortages
Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) is calling for the creation of a National Medicine Shortages and Discontinuations Clinical Advice Service, designed to provide real-time, evidence-based guidance to healthcare professionals responding to medicine supply disruptions.
The proposed service would be the first of its kind in Australia with similar successful models already established internationally, including in the United Kingdom.
Medicine shortages are increasingly recognised as a major global healthcare challenge. A recent survey by the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP), involving 859 hospital pharmacists across 36 countries, found:
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89% reported ongoing medicine shortages impacting patient care
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79% said shortages negatively affected hospital pharmacy operations
Australia faces additional vulnerability due to its smaller pharmaceutical market and geographic isolation.
Data submitted by AdPha to the Federal Government shows medicine shortages remain widespread nationally. In 2025, more than 400 medicine shortages were listed each day on the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Medicine Shortage Reports Database. In December 2025 alone, 382 current shortages and 86 anticipated shortages were recorded, alongside 260 medicine discontinuations.
Workforce and operational impacts are also significant. A 2022 pharmacy sector survey found that 29% of shortages experienced by clinicians were not captured within the national reporting database. AdPha’s State of Pharmacy: Workforce Insights 2025 report found that 98.2% of hospitals and health services dedicate weekly staff time to managing medicine shortages.
AdPha President, Assoc. Prof Tom Simpson FANZCAP (Lead&Mgmt), said shortages frequently force clinicians to develop local workarounds, diverting time and resources from patient care.
‘Medicine shortages are placing growing strain on Australia’s healthcare system and frequently disrupting treatment delivery.
‘We have seen situations where early warning signs were missed or where there was no coordinated national clinical response until shortages were already affecting patient care.
‘Currently, hospitals and health services are individually developing alternative treatment protocols, duplicating effort across the country and placing unnecessary burden on an already stretched workforce.
‘A nationally coordinated clinical advice service would allow healthcare professionals to access consistent, evidence-based guidance quickly, improving patient safety and supporting more efficient use of clinical resources.’
Associate Professor Simpson recently presented a healthcare perspective on medicine shortages at Parliament House in Canberra, highlighting the impact of the 2023–2024 IV fluid shortage.
IV fluids are essential to modern healthcare and are used to administer medicines, support surgical procedures, treat dehydration and provide life-saving care to critically ill patients. At the peak of the shortage, hospitals were forced to ration supply, delay elective surgeries and rapidly alter treatment protocols. The crisis ultimately prompted the establishment of a National IV Fluid Response Group and further government investment into domestic IV fluid manufacturing.
Associate Professor Simpson said the shortage highlighted how quickly supply disruptions can escalate into patient safety risks and increase pressure on clinicians.
‘Shortages of essential medicines can rapidly compound into complex clinical situations requiring additional time, coordination and resources.
‘Real-time, nationally coordinated clinical advice could make a critical difference in supporting clinicians and protecting patient care.’
Medicines Information Senior Pharmacist Jeanie Misko FANZCAP (MedInfo, MedsMgmt), said clinicians often face shortages without access to centralised clinical guidance.
‘In the absence of coordinated national support, clinicians can find themselves competing locally to secure stock or independently determining alternative treatment approaches.
‘A national advisory service led by specialist medicines information pharmacists would provide clinicians with reliable, evidence-based advice on alternative medicines, dosages and formulations during shortages or discontinuations.
‘With medicine supply disruptions expected to remain an ongoing national challenge, clinicians need access to timely, coordinated guidance to ensure safe and effective patient care.’
AdPha says the proposed advisory service would strengthen Australia’s preparedness and response to medicine supply disruptions while supporting consistent clinical decision-making across the healthcare system.
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Case study: IV fluid shortage highlights patient safety risks Associate Professor Simpson said the national impact of medicine shortages became deeply personal during the 2023–2024 IV fluid shortage, which affected hospitals across Australia. His wife, Catherine Drake, a pharmacist, required urgent medical treatment during the shortage period and experienced complications from surgery when insufficient IV fluids were available, highlighting how rapidly supply disruptions can escalate into complex clinical situations. IV fluids are essential to modern healthcare and are used to administer antibiotics and other medicines, support surgical procedures, treat dehydration and provide life-saving care to critically ill patients. During the peak of the shortage, hospitals were forced to ration supply, delay elective surgeries and rapidly adapt treatment protocols. Associate Professor Simpson said the experience demonstrated how shortages can increase clinical risk and place significant pressure on healthcare teams.
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