Prescription for crisis: the compounding effect of community drug shortages on Lebanon's healthcare system.

Abstract

The multifaceted crises that Lebanon is facing have led to a shortage of medications in the country's community pharmacies. This shortage has triggered a cascade of adverse effects, rippling throughout the nation's healthcare system. In this report, we examine the causes, which range from economic turmoil to inadequate resource distribution, along with the profound impacts on public health, such as increased length of hospital stays and compromised patient care. The paper also proposes a suite of solutions aimed at mitigating the immediate challenges and paving the way for a more resilient healthcare framework.