Drug shortages have been occurring with increasing frequency in recent years, with adverse consequences, including medical complications and higher prices. On 14 February 2011, NERA Senior Vice President Dr. Graeme Hunter presented a webinar on the healthcare and economic impact of drug shortages, along with John Calabrese, Senior Director of Sales and National Accounts for Greenstone LLC. During the webinar Dr. Hunter discussed his study in which case studies in drug supply disruptions show that sharp reductions in production by one or more manufacturers often coincided with an increase in supply by other manufacturers. As the study notes, these shifts in production were usually associated with sharp price increases, which can be more pronounced for independent pharmacies. If the number of shortages continues to increase over time, some evidence indicates that the strength and scale of large buyer groups, particularly those managed by large wholesalers, may provide independent pharmacies some protection from the effects of shortages, including sharper relative price increases.