A Quantitative Analysis of the Causes of Drug Shortages in Jordan: A Supply Chain Perspective

Abstract

<p>This study investigates the causes of drug shortage in Jordan. Based on thorough literature review, five causes related to supply chain were identified, namely regulatory and legislative processes, manufacturing-related issues, distribution factors, supply and demand imbalance, and human factors.</p><p>Data were collected from 221 professionals selected from Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA), pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, hospital professionals, and other nodes in the supply chain including distributors and wholesalers. Multiple-regression analysis was used to test the hypothesized relationships. The results indicate that four causes are significantly related to drug shortages in Jordan, regulatory and legislative processes, distribution factors, human factors, and supply and demand imbalance. Manufacturing-related issues are not significantly related to drug shortages. Implications and recommendations for the decision makers are proposed on the basis of the study results.</p>