NP-006 DruGhost, the first database of unavailable drugs in Europe – an Italian model: data 1 year after the start of the platform

Abstract

Drug shortages are a global problem; all types of drugs are liable for shortages with multifactorial causes such as supply, demand, and sometimes regulatory issues. Regulatory agencies, associations, and governments have developed various policies, programmes, research studies, and guidelines to address the issue. However, the phenomenon is growing, representing a problem for access to therapies. Our team was the first in Europe to develop a web platform called DruGhost for monitoring unavailable drugs, distinguished for the first time from shortages, proving to be a valid tool for monitoring the phenomenon and related management.