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Background: To curb the growing impact of drug shortages, Health Canada developed the Tiered Notification and Communication Framework which assigns potential shortages a corresponding tiered status. Tier-3 is assigned to shortages with the greatest potential impact on the healthcare system. This study aims to describe drug purchasing trends in response to Tier-3 shortages using three case-examples., Methods: We conducted a time-series analysis of monthly purchasing data for three out of 17 Tier-3 drug shortages (hydralazine, sarilumab, and medroxyprogesterone acetate) with publicly available reports in July 2021 and available IQVIA MIDAS data from January 2016 to December 2021. We assessed percent changes in purchasing at 1-, 3-, and 6-months after the onset of each Tier-3 drug shortage and interventional ARIMA modelling was used to assess the statistical significance., Results: Medroxyprogesterone acetate experienced a significant shift (p = 0.0370) in purchasing following its shortage, and the 1-, 3-, and 6-month percent changes were +14.9%, +6.8% and -3.1%, respectively. Hydralazine and sarilumab did not show a significant shift. The 1-, 3-, and 6-month percent changes for hydralazine were +15.5%, +10.2%, and +9.6% respectively and +25.2%, +45.1% and +39.2 for sarilumab., Conclusions: These results indicate that drugs assigned a Tier-3 status may not show declines in purchasing in the months following status assignment, which may be due to policy responses following the assignment. However, more insight is needed into the mechanisms through which these policy measures impact shortages and whether they are functioning as intended., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Santhireswaran et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objectives: We sought to determine the incidence, nature, and predisposing factors of atrioventricular block (AVB) associated with closure of atrial septal defects (ASDs) using the Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO)., Background: In our institution, 162 patients underwent ASD closure using ASO between December 1997 and December 2001. This includes small children with large defects., Methods: Electrocardiographic tracings during ASO implantation and at follow-up visits were reviewed. Anatomic characteristics and device size were assessed as potential risk factors for AVB., Results: Ten patients (6.2%) presented with new-onset (n = 9) or aggravation of preexisting (n = 1) AVB. Atrioventricular block occurred during the procedure (n = 3) or was first noted one day to one week later (n = 7). Patients had first-degree (n = 4), second-degree Wenckebach (n = 4), or third-degree (n = 2) AVB, with no symptoms or hemodynamic compromise. First-degree AVB persisted in two patients at 12 and 33 months of follow-up, whereas most recovered normal AV conduction within one (n = 7) or six months (n = 1). A larger shunt (Qp/Qs ratio 2.8 +/- 0.9 vs. 2.1 +/- 0.8, p < 0.01) and device size (24 +/- 5 vs. 19 +/- 6 mm, p < 0.01) were the only determinant factors for AVB. A device size > or =19 mm was used in 90% (9 of 10) of patients who developed AVB, as compared with 49% of those without AVB (p < 0.02)., Conclusions: Closure of ASDs using the large ASO can be associated with the development of AV block and mandate a closer follow-up. In our series, however, all AVBs resolved or improved spontaneously, with no recurrence at mid-term follow-up.