MINNEAPOLIS (December 15, 2022) — Allina Health is pleased to announce it has joined a new coalition of diverse stakeholders to address drug shortages in the United States. The End Drug Shortages Alliance provides a national forum for coalition members to collaborate on how to bring an end to medication shortages and minimize the impact these shortages have on patient care.
Over the past two decades, shortages of generic drugs critical to the lifesaving work of health care providers in our country have become far too commonplace. Today, hospitals and health care systems now maintain permanent drug shortage response teams to seek alternatives to unavailable drugs.
“Allina Health strongly supports the mission and work being undertaken by the End Drug Shortages Alliance to bring an end to drug shortages and is committed to improving transparency and advocating for supply chain redundancy,” said Ann Byre, Vice President, Allina Health Pharmacy Service. “This work is critical to providing quality patient care due to ongoing supply chain issues and medication shortages and we share a common goal to reduce the any impact these complex issues have on health care provider and patients.”
Drug shortages continue to be a major health care issue in the U.S., with more than 200 ongoing and active shortages per year since 2018.
The End Drug Shortages Alliance was launched in late 2021 to bring together industry stakeholders, including providers, group purchasing organizations, manufacturers, distributors and other industry thought leaders and champions. Efforts will focus on improving access to medications through greater transparency across market participants, leading to improved quality manufacturing of medications and production of additional supply.
Allina Health is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A nonprofit health care system, Allina Health cares for patients from beginning to end-of-life through its 90+ clinics, 12 hospital campuses, 14 retail pharmacies, and many specialty care centers and specialty medical services, home care, and emergency medical transportation services. Learn more at allinahealth.org and join us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.