Medical product shortages are an ongoing public health concern, with at least 140 products in shortage as of July 2024. We use the Household Pulse Survey to examine how many adults are affected by shortages of critical medical products in the United States. In fall 2023, shortages of medical products impacted about 38.8 million (18 percent) of individuals in the United States. Nearly half of those impacted by a shortage reported delaying or stopping use because a product was not available; 32 percent and 24 percent reported negative mental health and physical health effects, respectively.
