title: Oncologists' experiences with drug shortages.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There have been numerous reports of shortages of injectable drugs for cancer in the last decade. We assessed physician experiences with drug shortages in a population-based cohort of medical oncologists caring for patients with lung or colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We surveyed medical oncologists caring for patients with lung or colorectal cancer in the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium from 2012 to 2013 (participation rate, 53%). Oncologists reported experiences with shortages of leucovorin, fluorouracil, dexamethasone, cyanocobalamin, paclitaxel, cisplatin, and etoposide in the prior year and whether they had used a less-effective alternative because of a shortage. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess for associations between physician or practice characteristics and encountering shortages.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 330 respondents, 74% reported experiences with a shortage of at least one drug in our survey, and 28% reported using a less-effective alternative because of a shortage. Although physician demographic characteristics did not predict reports of drug shortages, practice characteristics did. Veterans Affairs (VA) oncologists were less likely to report experiencing any shortage than oncologists in single-specialty group practice (odds ratio [OR], 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2 to 0.9). The reported use of a less effective alternative to any drug was also less common among VA oncologists (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1 to 0.9) and oncologists affiliated with health maintenance organizations (OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2 to 0.9) compared with physicians in single-specialty groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most oncologists encountered drug shortages in the year before our survey, but experiences with shortages varied with practice structure. Further research is needed to quantitatively assess the impact of drug shortages on patients and evaluate various strategies for managing them.
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Frontier Science & Technology Research Foundation; Harvard Medical School; Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; University of California San Francisco, San Francisco; University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA; Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research & Development, Roudebush VA; and Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.
authors.forename: Kenneth L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kehl
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Frontier Science & Technology Research Foundation; Harvard Medical School; Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; University of California San Francisco, San Francisco; University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA; Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research & Development, Roudebush VA; and Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.
authors.forename: Stacy W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Frontier Science & Technology Research Foundation; Harvard Medical School; Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; University of California San Francisco, San Francisco; University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA; Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research & Development, Roudebush VA; and Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Frontier Science & Technology Research Foundation; Harvard Medical School; Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; University of California San Francisco, San Francisco; University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA; Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research & Development, Roudebush VA; and Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.
authors.forename: Katherine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Frontier Science & Technology Research Foundation; Harvard Medical School; Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; University of California San Francisco, San Francisco; University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA; Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research & Development, Roudebush VA; and Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haggstrom
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Frontier Science & Technology Research Foundation; Harvard Medical School; Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; University of California San Francisco, San Francisco; University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA; Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research & Development, Roudebush VA; and Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.
authors.forename: Maryse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roudier
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Frontier Science & Technology Research Foundation; Harvard Medical School; Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; University of California San Francisco, San Francisco; University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA; Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research & Development, Roudebush VA; and Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN keating@hcp.med.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Nancy L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Keating
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000600:supply & distribution* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D008495:Medical Oncology; D013038:Specialization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents