One in four Canadians touched by drug shortage in last 3 years

One in four Canadians have either personally experienced or know someone who has experienced a drug shortage in the last 3 years, according to a new survey released by the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA).

Other key findings include:

• Most Canadians (68%) have some degree of concern about drug shortages in Canada, particularly those over 60.
• Minorities (15-21%) of Canadians have looked into taking other approaches to procuring medication – online purchasing, or procuring drugs from a family member or elsewhere informally.
• Canadians have a great deal of trust in pharmacists, who they believe have the skills to identify the most appropriate alternative medication in the event of a shortage.

The national survey was conducted by Abacus Data from November 9-13, 2018.