Australasian anaesthesia 2025: invited papers and selected continuing education lectures

Doane M [editor]; Delos Santos J; Gardner A; Law R; Doane M [editor]

AIRR - ANZCA Institutional Research Repository

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/11055/1374

Book Title:	Australasian anaesthesia 2025: invited papers and selected continuing education lectures
Chapter No./Title:	Anaesthesia medication shortages in Australia and New Zealand
Chapter Authors/Editors:	Doane M [editor] Delos Santos J Gardner A Law R Doane M [editor]
Issue Date:	11-Nov-2025
Publisher:	Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists
Description:	Worldwide, there are drug and equipment shortages across high-, middle-, and low-income countries, affecting many areas of medicine. Most recently, the shortage of intravenous fluids, and in the recent past, shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), propofol (in 2014, 2020, 2021, 2025) and remifentanil (ongoing since 2022), have impacted anaesthesia practice in Australia and New Zealand. Both Australia (through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)) and New Zealand (through the Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe)) have strict regulatory processes for assessing, monitoring and licensing of medications, which ensure the highest safety standards for medication usage. However, these appropriately stringent standards may cause issues when medication shortages occur and there is a need to access other medications or formulations. In this chapter, we will look at how medication shortages may more significantly impact the provision of anaesthesia than other medical disciplines, the causes of medication shortages, the potential clinical and ethical problems of medication shortages, and mitigation strategies when shortages occur.
URI:	https://hdl.handle.net/11055/1374
ISBN:	9780645147247
Appears in Collections:	Corporate