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BACKGROUND: Drug shortages have been a reality of pharmacy practice for decades. However, this problem has become a daily concern for pharmacists in the 21st century and extends beyond the pharmaceutical literature. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to quantify the annual number of drugs in short supply and the duration of these shortages. A secondary objective was to describe the number of drugs in short supply by manufacturer and therapeutic class. METHOD: This descriptive retrospective study examined drug shortages in relation to all hospital medication supply contracts in the administrative regions of Montréal, Laval, and the Eastern Townships in the province of Quebec. The number of inventory shortages, the number of out-of-stock days, and the mean annual duration of the shortages were calculated by manufacturer and by therapeutic class. The proportions of out-of-stock products and out-of-stock days were also calculated by therapeutic class. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed (i.e., totals, means, standard deviations, medians, and ranges). RESULTS: There were 2400 inventory shortages between January 1, 2006, and August 31, 2010 (56-month period) for a total of 258 105 out-of-stock days (mean duration ± standard deviation 108 ± 130 days, range 5 to 1623 days). A total of 70 manufacturers were implicated in drug shortages over the study period, but 4 manufacturers were responsible for half (50%) of the shortages and out-of-stock days. The shortages affected the majority of therapeutic drug classes on the market. However, 3 therapeutic classes (central nervous system drugs, anti-infective agents, and cardiovascular drugs) accounted for 50% of the shortages. CONCLUSION: These are the first Canadian data published on the scope of drug shortages in the hospital market. This study has demonstrated that drug shortages affect the majority of manufacturers and most therapeutic classes. Further studies are required to explore the causes and effects of drug shortages in the hospital setting. [Publisher's translation].