Undispensed Prescriptions due to Drug Unavailability at a Teaching Hospital in Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To describe the extent of undispensed prescriptions as a result of drug unavailability in a tertiary health facility in Saudi Arabia Methods: This study was conducted prospectively in a large teaching hospital over a 6 months period from May to October of 2005 and tracked 14 commonly prescribed drugs. The bimonthly drug requisition forms and the amount supplied by medical supply department (MSD) were collected and reviewed. Results: Total number of prescriptions issued for the drugs under examination was 29113. 26551 prescriptions were dispensed while the remaining 2562 (9%) were undispensed due to drug unavailability. The difference between quantity of drugs requested by the pharmacy and quantity issued from MSD was 47-52%. Conclusion: Mismatch between drug demand and supply in the facility studied is the main cause of shortage.