Medicine shortages in an Austrian community pharmacy: quantification and pharmacist intervention-a prospective observational study on shortage extent, patient support, and associated predictive factors.

BACKGROUND: Medicine shortages increasingly challenge community pharmacies, affecting patient safety, increasing pharmacist workload, and straining healthcare systems. Little is known about shortages in Austrian community pharmacy settings. AIM: To estimate the prevalence of medicine shortages in a community pharmacy in Austria, and describe how frequently pharmaceutical interventions were provided to mitigate their impact on patients. METHODS: This prospective, single-centre study was conducted over 8 weeks in an Austrian community pharmacy. Medicine shortages were identified using point-of-sale software during prescription dispensing. A structured data collection form was used to record patient demographics, affected medicines, and pharmaceutical interventions. RESULTS: Among 3182 patients, 212 (6.7%) experienced a shortage, involving 243 medicines (1.6%). Of these, 67.9% were permanent and 32.1% temporary shortages. Pharmacist-led interventions resolved 90.1% of cases. Intervention success rates were consistently high regardless of shortage duration. CONCLUSIONS: Medicine shortages have become routine in Austrian community pharmacies. This study demonstrates the high acceptance and effectiveness of pharmacist-led interventions, irrespective of shortage duration. Findings support enhancing pharmacists' role in medicine supply, including regulatory adjustments such as Aut-idem substitution.