How COVID-19 affected medicine shortages
Impact of COVID-19 on Drug Shortages
This project finds out how COVID-19 caused prescription drug shortages and how those shortages harmed patients, especially people in long-term care and outpatient settings.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11136250 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take regular prescription medicines, this project looks at how the pandemic interrupted the drug supply and led to missed or changed treatments. The team will compare what happened in the United States and Canada and examine policies each country used during the emergency. They will use health care records, pharmacy and supply data, and policy timelines to link specific shortages to treatment disruption and clinical outcomes like hospital stays or worsening illness. The focus is on outpatient clinics and long-term care settings where shortages were most common.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people who rely on prescription medicines—particularly residents of long-term care facilities or outpatients who experienced medication interruptions during the COVID-19 period.
Not a fit: People who do not take prescription medicines or were not affected by supply interruptions are unlikely to see direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help shape policies and supply-chain changes that lower the chance of future medicine shortages and prevent treatment interruptions.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown drug shortages can worsen health outcomes, but direct cross-country comparisons of policy responses during COVID-19 are limited.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Suda, Kj — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Suda, Kj
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.