Extent of a valsartan drug shortage and its effect on antihypertensive drug use in the Canadian population: a national cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Drug shortages represent a growing global problem, with potentially serious consequences to patients and the health care system. Our study investigates the impacts of a major recall and shortage of valsartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), in July 2018 in Canada.

Methods

We conducted a time-series analysis of antihypertensive drugs dispensed in Canada between 2015 and 2019 using commercially available retail prescription data. Using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) modelling, we evaluated the change in valsartan use after the recall. We also measured the overall use of ARBs, angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and other antihypertensive drug classes for the same period.

Results

After the recall in July 2018, valsartan use

SUBMITTER: Fenna J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8673482 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature