Boots on the Ground in Childhood Cancer Drug Shortages: a multilevel approach

In recent decades, drug shortages have become more common and more impactful, and this has been particularly true in the field of pediatric oncology. This article provides a brief history of drug shortages, paying particular attention to shortages of critical cancer drugs. It gives background as to why this is such a vexing problem for hospitals and health-care organizations and how shortages often affect different institutions in different ways and similarly at the patient level. The authors provide specific examples of recent experiences with local, regional, and national collaborative efforts to navigate pediatric oncology drug shortages, identifying some of the successes of these groups, as well as their shortcomings, in achieving greater health-care justice. The article closes with reflections about the current state of affairs in childhood cancer drug shortages, identifying several areas that require further work and scholarship.