Empty Shelves, Unanswered Questions: Understanding Why Azithromycin Disappears From US Pharmacies
Azithromycin, one of the most frequently prescribed antibiotics in the United States, has periodically vanished from pharmacy shelves due to a convergence of manufacturing vulnerabilities, demand surges, and global supply chain instability. Patients who arrive at their local pharmacy with a valid prescription sometimes leave empty-handed — a situation that raises serious questions about the resilience of the nation's drug supply. This article examines the structural causes behind azithromycin sh