On Oct. 31, 2024, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh reported results of a study that showed drug-related supply-chain issues were 40% less likely to result in drug shortages in Canada versus the United States.

The analysis looked at drugs that had reports of supply-chain disruptions between 2017 and 2021 in both countries and found that within 12 months of an initial U.S. report, nearly half resulted in drug shortages in the United States versus about one-third in Canada. There was also a consistently lower risk of shortage in Canada at each month after the reports.

The researchers used supply chain-issue reports drawn from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and Health Canada. They then compared these reports to actual drug usage in both countries, defining a drug shortage as a decrease in monthly purchased units of at least 33% relative to average units in the six months before the report. The study was published n JAMA.

While the paper did not explore the reasons behind the differences in drug shortages in the two countries, the authors note that Canada has more cooperation among regulatory agencies, health systems, public payers and other important players like manufacturers and wholesalers. Canada also uses its pharmaceutical stockpile mechanisms to address drug shortages, whereas the U.S. stockpile is for acute events, such as terrorism or mass casualty.