Executive summary. A shortage plan helps a pharmacy make careful, equitable decisions when supply cannot meet the need in front of it.
Definition
A medication shortage is a period in which the supply of a drug does not meet current or projected demand.
Where this work lives in Attergo
Inventory teams work across the Attergo Inventory Dashboard, Items, Lots, Purchasing, Counts, Returns, Reorder, and Suppliers workspaces. Start at the item or lot in question, record what was observed, and use the appropriate count or queue to bring the physical and recorded positions back into agreement.
Shortages move quickly, and one package size or strength can be affected while another is untouched. Confirm the product and its current status through reliable sources, then bring in the pharmacist and the prescriber for patient-specific decisions.
Review and follow up
Tell affected patients and care teams early, document alternatives or transfers under your policy, and avoid quoting a restock date nobody has confirmed. Protect limited stock through a fair, clinically informed process.
Final decisions stay with the role your organization holds accountable for them. Record the decision on the item, with the evidence behind it, so the next person to open it does not start over.
Frequently asked questions
Who should use this Attergo workspace?
The role that owns the next action leads it: a billing specialist, an authorization coordinator, an inventory lead, a pharmacist, a compliance lead, or a finance reviewer. Access follows the role your organization assigns.
Referenced standards and further reading
- FDA: Drug shortages ↗U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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