Medicines shortages in Australia-the reality.

The changing pattern of shortages in our remote hospital is not unexpected, reflecting the well-documented burden of international drug shortages. 2 What is alarming though, particularly with the vulnerabilities of supply in a remote setting, is the lack of national response from government or industry to reduce the occurrence and mitigate the impact of shortages. 2–3 As a recent example, in May 2013 there was an acute shortage of the generic injectable antibiotic ticarcillin/clauvulanate in Katherine Hospital and the entire region. This antibiotic is used primarily for the treatment of complex diabetic infections. With the wave of metabolic syndrome and diabetes that is washing across indigenous people in this region, this shortage posed a serious problem.