Pediatric medications have more active FDA-listed shortages than any other therapeutic category, according to the FDA’s drug shortage database.
Here are the categories with the most active shortage listings, ranked by number of active shortages as of Aug. 25:
1. Pediatric: 18
2. Anesthesia: 10 (tie)
2. Cardiovascular: 10 (tie)
3. Analgesia/addiction: 9 (tie)
3. Gastroenterology: 9 (tie)
4. Endocrinology/metabolism: 8 (tie)
4. Neurology: 8 (tie)
5. Anti-infective: 7 (tie)
5. Oncology: 7 (tie)
5. Psychiatry: 7 (tie)
Rheumatology and pulmonary/allergy follow close behind, each with 4 active shortages.
A single shortage can be filed under more than one category on FDA’s list — dexamethasone sodium phosphate injection, for example, appears under nine separate categories, including endocrinology, gastroenterology, neurology, oncology and rheumatology. That means these figures represent category-level listings rather than a count of unique drugs. Figures reflect only shortages FDA marks “Currently in Shortage” and exclude discontinuations and resolved shortages.
Ranked by how many patients rely on them annually, the highest-risk shortages include:
- Amphetamine mixed salts tablet (the ADHD stimulant combination sold as generic Adderall): 5.28 million patients, 36.8 million prescriptions a year, according to ClinCalc’s DrugStats database, which reflects 2024 data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
- Methylphenidate: 2.99 million patients, 18.6 million prescriptions a year
- Clonazepam tablet: 2.15 million patients, 11.9 million prescriptions a year
- Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate: 1.6 million patients, 9.9 million prescriptions a year
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