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Review

Tackling Drug Shortages: An In-Depth Systematic Review Protocol

Reem Alraya1, Mohammed Kanan2, Ahmad k. Aljabri3, Baiaan Alsaadi3, Maryam M Althubyani4, Sarah Alamri5, Abdullah Alqarni6, Yazeed Alenazi7, Assaf Almutairi8, Amani Alshehri9, Nofa Alshammari10

  1. 1Department of Pharmaceutical Care, First Health Cluster in Eastern Province, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
  2. 2Department of Pharmaceutical Care, Rafha Central Hospital, Northern Border Health Cluster, Rafha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  3. 3Clinical Pharmacy Services, Pharmacy Department, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Medical City, Madinah Health Cluster, Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  4. 4Department of Clinical Services, Pharmaceutical Care Services, King Salman Medical City, MOH, Al Madinah Al Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia.
  5. 5Department of Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia.
  6. 6Department of Pharmacy, Aldawaa Medical Services Co, Riyadh, 13249, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  7. 7Department of Pharmacy, Northern Border University, Rafha, 34217, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  8. 8Department of Public Health, Rafha Central Hospital, Northern Border Health Cluster, Rafha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  9. 9PharmD Student, King Khalid University, Abha 62542, Saudi Arabia.
  10. 10Department of Pharmacy, Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, KSA.

Received: 05-07-2024; Accepted: 26-08-2024.

Volume 23, Issue 2 · pp. 3176 · PUBLISHED 20 May 2025 · DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2025.2.3176

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ABSTRACT

Addressing global drug shortages demands proactive measures. Enhanced reporting, supply chain policies, and quality systems are crucial to minimize it. Notably, there’s a lack of systematic review on the reasons of drug shortage. To fill this gap, our study will adhere to PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, conducting a thorough literature search across various databases using specific descriptors related to drug shortages. Articles will be screened for relevance, with eligibility assessed by two independent reviewers and disagreements resolved through consensus. Duplicates will be removed, and data will be extracted using a standardized form. Quality assessment will employ the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, with appraisals conducted independently by two reviewers and discrepancies resolved through consensus. A narrative synthesis approach will be used to synthesize findings, initially presenting results in tabular form before discussing and structuring them into themes. Drug shortages are caused by a range of factors, including issues with drug supply, demand, and regulatory challenges. These factors interact in complex ways, requiring comprehensive solutions to effectively address the scarcity of medicines.

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      Alraya, R., Kanan, M., Aljabri, A. K., Alsaadi, B., Althubyani, M. M., Alamri, S., Alqarni, A., Alenazi, Y., Almutairi, A., Alshehri, A., & Alshammari, N. (2025). Tackling Drug Shortages: An In-Depth Systematic Review Protocol. Pharmacy Practice, 23(2), 3176. https://doi.org/10.18549/PharmPract.2025.2.3176