Drug Shortages | Association for Accessible Medicines

AAM White Paper on Shortages

Generic medicines are the backbone of the U.S. prescription drug market, supplying more than 9 out of every 10 prescriptions. And the availability of generic medicines overall is remarkably stable – even during challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nonetheless, drug shortages, which hit crisis proportions between 2010 and 2011, can be a challenge for manufacturers, providers, and patients. Due to aggressive efforts by industry and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the incidence of shortages has declined, but recent reports suggest a rise in shortages in 2023.

Read more about AAM White Paper on Shortages

How Inflation Penalties for Generic Medicines Could Worsen Drug Shortages

Amid rising health care costs, generic drugs stand out for delivering low-cost, affordable and accessible health care options for patients. As a result of robust head-to-head price competition that rapidly drives costs down to a fraction of the brand price, generics today comprise more than 90% of all prescriptions dispensed in the United States but only 18% of prescription drug spending.

Read more about How Inflation Penalties for Generic Medicines Could Worsen Drug Shortages

AAM Buy American Fact Sheet

A diverse, resilient supply chain for prescription medicine will moderate the risk of drug shortages and ensure patient access during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Read more about AAM Buy American Fact Sheet

AAM Interim CEO Jeff Francer on COVID-19

First in a series, view second.

Read more about AAM Interim CEO Jeff Francer on COVID-19

AAM Statement on 2019 FDA Drug Shortages Task Force Report

WASHINGTON DC (October 29, 2019) – AAM applauds FDA for recognizing the multi-faceted challenges that can lead to drug shortages. In particular, deteriorating market conditions have led to sustainability issues in the manufacture of certain medicines. AAM and its members commit to working with FDA and policymakers to advocate for policies to ensure a healthy, sustainable market for safe, effective and affordable medicines for patients.

Read more about AAM Statement on 2019 FDA Drug Shortages Task Force Report

Generic Prescription Drug Shortage Bills

AAM’s core mission is to improve patients’ lives by advancing timely access to affordable, FDA-approved generic and biosimilar medicines. AAM is the nation’s leading trade association for manufacturers and distributors of generic and biosimilar prescription medicines. Our members provide more than 36,000 jobs at nearly 150 facilities, and manufacture more than 61 billion doses of prescription medicine in the US annually.

Key Points:

Read more about Generic Prescription Drug Shortage Bills

Preliminary Recommendations for Addressing Drug Shortages

AAM appreciates FDA’s efforts to address drug shortages, and we look forward to working with the Agency to further refine potential options as the agency moves forward with the important work on drug shortages.

Read more about Preliminary Recommendations for Addressing Drug Shortages

Generic and Biosimilars Approvals Are Only Half the Story

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plays a critical role in keeping Americans healthy. When it comes to drug approvals, the FDA’s scientists and regulators strive every day to keep pace with the most current advances in science so that patients can benefit from innovative, safe, and effective medicines.

Read more about Generic and Biosimilars Approvals Are Only Half the Story

FDA Approvals: Good News for Patients, More Work to Do (Part 2)

Continued from Part 1...

We greatly appreciate the FDA’s efforts to increase the number of generic drug approvals and take action on applications in the backlog.

What some people also might not understand is that not all generic medicines approved by the FDA make it to market.

Read more about FDA Approvals: Good News for Patients, More Work to Do (Part 2)

White Paper: Ensuring the Future of Accessible Medicines in the U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 12, 2018) In its newest white paper, released today, the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) finds that generics and biosimilars continue to provide savings for patients, but that uninterrupted patient access to these affordable prescription medicines is at risk.

Read more about White Paper: Ensuring the Future of Accessible Medicines in the U.S.