Drug Shortages at a 10-year high; Meet the Non-Profit Working to Ensure Patient Access

Partner Voice

Angels for Change connects patients, physicians, and pharmacists to life-saving treatments during shortages

Jan 15, 2024

Michael Ottman, Communication & Development Manager at Angels for Change

Essential Medicine Shortages have become commonplace throughout the supply chain. This year ASHP reported that 99% of hospital pharmacists encounter more than one drug shortage a day. 2023 was a dire year for drug shortages. Patients from around the country faced a 10 year high of the number of medicines in shortage and they needed help.

A bankruptcy, a quality assurance event, and a tornado caused major disruption, closures, and impact at 3 separate manufacturing plants. These events spotlighted the urgent need to build resiliency and collaboration into the entire supply chain. The pharmaceutical supply chain is fragile. Any setback or disruptions can cause a ripple effect, severely impacting patients. A broken and brittle supply chain cannot fill the physician's hands that save the lives of our people. During each one of these events, Angels for Change was there fostering patient first
solutions, collaboration, transparency, and redundancy to mitigate the shortage and create the resilient healthcare supply chain our citizens deserve.

Angels for Change (A4C) is the only 501c3 volunteer supported, patient advocacy organization on a mission to end drug shortage through advocacy, awareness, and a resilient supply chain. Laura Bray founded A4C in 2019 after her own child faced three life-saving drug shortages in nine months of pediatric cancer treatment. Each day, A4C advocates on behalf of patients, physicians, and pharmacists in a life-saving drug shortage, while building relationships with members of the pharmaceutical supply chain and policy makers to end drug shortages. We take direct calls from those in a shortage crisis and connect them to supply through our Inventory
Sharing Network. We answer every call. We leave no patient behind. This work has given us a unique view into the supply chain. While it is brittle and broken, it is also filled with supply chain experts and front line care teams willing to perform herculean efforts to treat their patients and save lives. This supply chain is made up of so many champions that can and will unite to end this crisis.

In May of 2022, founder Laura Bray attended Health Connect Partners as a panelist to share about the drug shortage crisis. She discussed real patient drug shortage stories and practical solutions to end drug shortages, such as the launching of the End Drug Shortages Alliance (EDSA) and project PROTECT.

Angels for Change Partnership with Fagron Sterile Services

Since that time our work has grown. A4C Project Protect scaled from 2 to 9 medicines, ensuring access to over 750,000 life-saving shortage treatments. We elevated our national policy advocacy work during Congressional expert testimony, participation in a White House Task Force, advocating for patients on proposed legislation, and bringing national awareness to essential medicine shortages. Additionally, the A4C Inventory Sharing Network has supported patients, physicians, pharmacists, and hospitals during 58 unique drug shortages.

If a patient, hospital system, or community practice is facing a shortage, Angels for Change is here to advocate and ensure access to the needed medication. But to end drug shortages, we must work together as a connected supply chain and build the system of the future: a system aligned, reliable, and redundant enough to recover without patient impact. Join us as we race to end drug shortages, making sure no patient ever has to hear, and no doctor ever has to say, “We don’t have the medicine we need to save your life.”

For anyone who wishes to learn more, volunteer, or contribute to our mission visit us at www.angelsforchange.org.