Lee Yong Hwa, An Dasom, Baek Youngsuk, Yoo Kyungsook, Hyun Sumi, Park Sun-Kyeong, Lee Eui-Kyung
School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
School of Pharmacy, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, South Korea.
Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2024 Aug 30;17:2083-2095. doi: 10.2147/RMHP.S473859. eCollection 2024.
Drug shortages directly affect the final stage in the pharmaceutical supply chain, prescription fulfillment in community pharmacies (CPs). This study investigated the current state of drug shortages, their resolution, and influencing factors within CPs.
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among pharmacists working at pharmacies in Seoul between 7 and 31 October 2022. The survey gathered data on pharmacies and pharmacists' characteristics, drug distribution, information, communication, and administrative practices. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors influencing these rates. Regression results are presented as odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Of the 1200 pharmacists approached, 713 participated, yielding a response rate of 59.4%. After excluding incomplete responses, data from 671 respondents were analyzed. Pharmacies with higher prescription drug sales demonstrated a lower OR for drug shortages (OR=0.66, 95% CI=0.60-0.72) compared to those with lower sales volumes. Resolution rates were significantly higher when pharmacies were located near clinics (OR=3.30, 95% CI=2.3-4.74) and general hospitals (OR=3.45, 95% CI=2.35-5.07) compared to those without nearby medical facilities. Additionally, good communication with prescribers increased the resolution rates (OR=1.46, 95% CI=1.26-1.69).
This study examines the influence of pharmacy purchasing power on drug shortages, identifying proximity to healthcare facilities and communication with prescribers as factors affecting the resolution rates. These findings provide valuable insights for pharmacists, policymakers, and future researchers to optimize drug supply chain management and mitigate shortages in community settings.
药品短缺直接影响药品供应链的最后阶段，即社区药房的处方配药。本研究调查了社区药房内药品短缺的现状、解决情况及影响因素。
于2022年10月7日至31日对首尔各药房的药剂师进行了一项横断面在线调查。该调查收集了有关药房及药剂师特征、药品配送、信息、沟通和管理实践的数据。采用逻辑回归来确定影响这些比率的因素。回归结果以比值比（OR）和95%置信区间（CI）表示。
在1200名被邀请的药剂师中，713名参与了调查，回复率为59.4%。排除不完整回复后，对671名受访者的数据进行了分析。与销售额较低的药房相比，处方药销售额较高的药房药品短缺的OR较低（OR = 0.66，95% CI = 0.60 - 0.72）。与附近没有医疗设施的药房相比，位于诊所附近（OR = 3.30，95% CI = 2.3 - 4.74）和综合医院附近（OR = 3.45，95% CI = 2.35 - 5.07）的药房解决率显著更高。此外，与开处方者的良好沟通提高了解决率（OR = 1.46，95% CI = 1.26 - 1.69）。
本研究考察了药房购买力对药品短缺的影响，确定了与医疗设施的距离以及与开处方者的沟通是影响解决率的因素。这些发现为药剂师、政策制定者和未来的研究人员优化药品供应链管理和缓解社区环境中的短缺情况提供了有价值的见解。
