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Medicine shortages in an Austrian community pharmacy: quantification and pharmacist intervention-a prospective
Alexander Schmidt-Ilsinger1,2, Thomas Arzt1, Petra Riegler1
1Community Pharmacy, St. Johns of God Hospital, Esterhazystraße 26, 7000 Eisenstadt, Austria.
Background:
Medicine shortages increasingly challenge community pharmacies, affecting patient safety, increasing pharmacist workload, and straining healthcare systems. Little is known about shortages in Austrian community pharmacy settings.
Aim:
To estimate the prevalence of medicine shortages in a community pharmacy in Austria, and describe how frequently pharmaceutical interventions were provided to mitigate their impact on patients.
Methods:
This prospective, single-centre study was conducted over 8 weeks in an Austrian community pharmacy. Medicine shortages were identified using point-of-sale software during prescription dispensing. A structured data collection form was used to record patient demographics, affected medicines, and pharmaceutical interventions.
Results:
Among 3182 patients, 212 (6.7%) experienced a shortage, involving 243 medicines (1.6%). Of these, 67.9% were permanent and 32.1% temporary shortages. Pharmacist-led interventions resolved 90.1% of cases. Intervention success rates were consistently high regardless of shortage duration.
Conclusions:
Medicine shortages have become routine in Austrian community pharmacies. This study demonstrates the high acceptance and effectiveness of pharmacist-led interventions, irrespective of shortage duration. Findings support enhancing pharmacists' role in medicine supply, including regulatory adjustments such as Aut-idem substitution.
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