Survey: US Hospitals Turn to Gray-market Vendors as Drug Shortage Continues

The study of 549 hospitals indicates that 52% of respondents purchased one or more pharmaceutical products from back-door suppliers during the past two years.

According to a survey by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). half of US hospitals are turning to gray-market vendors as the country's drug shortage continues.

The study of 549 hospitals indicates that 52% of respondents purchased one or more pharmaceutical products from back-door suppliers during the past two years.

Critical medications have become scarce over the last year, with 82% of 802 hospitals surveyed by the American Hospital Association in July reporting that they were forced to delay treatment because of the shortage. Desperation of pharmacy directors and demanding patients have fuelled the transactions between the opportunist gray-market distributors who have been quick to sell inexplicably-obtaine