Combating drug shortages in China: surveillance warning and practice standardization

Like other countries, China has been experiencing drug shortages during the past years, including drugs on the National Essential Medicine List and emergency drugs. Drug shortages have raised public concerns in China and have severe impacts on all stakeholders in the supply chain, especially patients and hospitals. Recently, Chinese governments have ramped up several measures to ensure a steady supply of essential and first-aid drugs. In this commentary, we share our experiences of addressing drug shortages at Hunan Province, central China. We focus on the establishment of a provincial drug shortage monitoring center, and the Center's efforts to standardize practices on the management of drug shortages and identify therapeutic alternatives for drugs in short supply based on international best practices.