Current Drug Shortages: Which Medications Are Scarce Today in 2025

As of December 2025, over 270 medications are still in short supply across the United States - a number that may seem lower than last year’s peak, but still represents a dangerous level of instability in the healthcare system. For patients relying on these drugs, the impact isn’t theoretical. It’s real. It’s delaying cancer treatments. It’s forcing hospitals to ration saline bags. It’s making everyday prescriptions harder to fill - even when you’ve paid for them.

What’s Actually in Short Supply Right Now?

The most critical shortages aren’t random. They cluster in specific drug classes that are essential, hard to make, and low-profit. The top categories still struggling include:

• Sterile injectables: These are the backbone of hospital care. Drugs like 5% Dextrose Injection (in small bags) and 50% Dextrose Injection remain scarce, with no resolution expected until late summer or early fall 2025. These are used for dehydration, low blood sugar, and IV nutrition.
• Chemotherapy drugs: Cisplatin, carboplatin, and doxorubicin are still in limited supply. A 2022 quality control failure at a major Indian manufacturing plant cut off half the U.S. supply of cisplatin - a drug critical for treating testicular, ovarian, and lung cancers. Hospitals now ration it, prioritizing patients with the highest survival chances.
• Intravenous fluids: Normal saline (0.9% sodium chloride) and lactated Ringer’s solutions are still tight. While not completely gone, many hospitals have cut back on routine use, encouraging oral rehydration when possible.
• ADHD medications: Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) and amphetamine formulations (Adderall) are still hard to find. Demand has grown 35% annually since 2020, outpacing manufacturing capacity.
• GLP-1 weight loss drugs: Semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) and liraglutide (Saxenda) are experiencing new waves of shortages. These aren’t just for obesity - they’re used off-label for diabetes and metabolic conditions, stretching supply thin.
• Antibiotics: Vancomycin, cefazolin, and piperacillin-tazobactam are still in short supply, especially in pediatric and ICU settings.

What’s surprising? Brand-name drugs like insulin or blood pressure medications are rarely affected. The problem isn’t about popularity - it’s about profit.

Why Are These Drugs So Hard to Make?

It’s not a simple case of “not enough factories.” The issue is structural.

Over 80% of the active ingredients in U.S. medications come from just two countries: India (45%) and China (25%). These aren’t just pills - they’re complex chemical compounds made in multi-step processes that require extreme precision. A single failed batch can shut down production for months.

For example, cisplatin requires ultra-pure platinum compounds and sterile filling lines. One FDA inspection in 2022 found mold in a clean room at an Indian plant. That one issue knocked out half the U.S. supply. And because these drugs are generics, manufacturers make only 5-8% profit per unit. Why invest millions to upgrade equipment when you can make more money selling something else?

Meanwhile, demand keeps rising. GLP-1 drugs? 3 million Americans are now on them. ADHD prescriptions? Up 40% since 2020. Hospitals need more IV fluids because of heatwaves and longer ER stays. But production hasn’t kept up.

Who’s Feeling the Impact?

It’s not just patients. Healthcare workers are drowning in the fallout.

• 92% of hospital pharmacists spend over 10 hours a week just tracking down drugs or finding alternatives.
• 67% report medication errors caused by last-minute substitutions - like switching from a branded chemo drug to a generic with different dosing.
• 78% of doctors say they’ve delayed treatments because a drug wasn’t available.
• 31% of cancer patients experienced treatment interruptions in 2024, with delays averaging nearly two weeks.

One Ohio pharmacist described rationing cisplatin by cancer type - giving it only to patients with testicular cancer, where survival rates jump from 50% to over 90% with the drug. Other patients got less effective alternatives. That’s not a medical decision. That’s a supply chain failure.

Why Can’t We Just Make More?

The FDA says it stops about 200 potential shortages every year by nudging manufacturers to fix problems or ramp up production. But here’s the catch: they can’t force anyone to do it.

There’s no law requiring companies to maintain minimum stockpiles. No penalty for stopping production of a critical drug. No requirement to tell the FDA when they’re running low on raw materials from overseas.

Proposed tariffs of 50-200% on Chinese and Indian pharmaceutical ingredients could make things worse. If a bag of saline costs $1.50 to make now, a 100% tariff could push it to $3.00 - and manufacturers might just stop making it entirely.

Some states are trying to fix this. New York is building an online database so doctors and pharmacists can see which pharmacies still have saline or insulin in stock. Hawaii now allows Medicaid to pay for drugs approved in Canada or the EU during shortages. But these are patches - not solutions.

What Can You Do If Your Drug Is in Shortage?

If you’re on a medication that’s hard to find, here’s what actually works:

1. Call your pharmacy early. Don’t wait until your prescription runs out. Ask if they have it in stock or when it’s expected.
2. Ask about alternatives. Many shortages involve generics. Your doctor may be able to switch you to a therapeutically equivalent drug. For example, if cisplatin isn’t available, carboplatin might work - though it’s not always as effective.
3. Check the ASHP Drug Shortages Database. It’s updated weekly and lists expected resolution dates. You can search by drug name or category.
4. Don’t skip doses. If you can’t get your medication, call your doctor. Stopping chemotherapy or insulin without guidance can be dangerous.
5. Use patient advocacy groups. Organizations like Patients for Affordable Drugs can help connect you with resources or clinical trial access if your treatment is delayed.

Pharmacists in 47 states can now substitute certain drugs without a new prescription - but only if they’re proven to be equally safe and effective. Ask if that’s an option for you.

What’s Changing in 2025?

There’s some progress - but not enough.

• The FDA launched a new public reporting portal in January 2025. Over 1,200 shortages were reported by providers in the first three months - 87% led to FDA intervention.
• 63 shortages were resolved in Q1 2025, mostly antibiotics. That’s a win - but 40% of current shortages started in 2022 or earlier.
• More hospitals are starting to keep 30-day stockpiles of critical drugs. But only 28% can afford it.

The big picture? Without major policy changes - like tax breaks for U.S.-based API manufacturing, mandatory stockpiles, or penalties for supply chain neglect - shortages will stay above 250 through 2027. If tariffs hit, we could see over 350 active shortages by next year.

This isn’t a glitch. It’s a system failure. And until the financial incentives change, the same drugs will keep disappearing - while patients and providers scramble to keep up.