For more than two decades, drug shortages have plagued the U.S. healthcare market – so much so that the American Medical Association has declared them “an urgent public health crisis.” Because 84% of shortages involve generic drugs, they have a disproportionate impact on injured workers who rely on these generics for early pain control and post-surgical recovery.
And in workers’ compensation, shortages are no longer simply a problem at the pharmacy counter – they are increasingly becoming claims management risks. Medication access delays can alter claim trajectories, resulting in worse health outcomes and prolonged time away from work. On the administrative side, these cases can quickly escalate into more complex, higher-touch claims requiring increased oversight and intervention from claims teams.
To keep claims on track, payers and claims professionals must take a proactive approach – one that involves the ability to anticipate risks, maintain visibility across the claim lifecycle, and coordinate clinical and pharmacy decisions in real time.
What Defines a Drug Shortage?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers a drug to be in shortage when, at the national level, supply is not meeting current demand, or if supply is not forecasted to meet projected demand.
The State of National Drug Shortages
As of June 2026, the FDA was tracking 73 national drug shortages.4 But what’s more telling, over time, is the number of new drug shortages each year. For instance, in 2011, at the height of the drug shortage crisis, there were 267 new shortages. Yet in 2025, there were just 89 new drug shortages – which reflects a gradual decline each year since 2022.
However, though there has been an overall decrease in new shortages, the shortages are lasting longer, with more than half of the active shortages tracked in 2024 ongoing for more than two years. And fewer new shortages doesn’t mean fewer people are impacted, as even a single shortage can affect a large number of patients. By one estimate, the average shortage affects at least half a million consumers.
