Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/covid-19-cidrap-viewpoint
Part 6: "Ensuring a resilient US prescription drug supply" (Oct 21, 2020)
Welcome to "COVID-19: The CIDRAP Viewpoint." Our intent with the Viewpoint series is to add key information regarding the pandemic, address issues that haven't garnered the attention they deserve, and reflect the unique expertise among the CIDRAP team and our expert consultants.
In this periodic series of reports we will address timely issues with straight talk and clarity. And the steps we recommend will be based on our current reality and the best available data. Our goal is to help planners envision some of the situations that might present themselves later this year or next year so that they can take key steps now, while there’s still time.
Upcoming reports will address other pressing topics.
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In the sixth Viewpoint report, published October 21, 2020, "Ensuring a resilient US prescription drug supply," CIDRAP experts note there are already growing shortages in the United States and Europe for COVID-19-related drugs.
Twenty-nine (73%) out of the 40 COVID-19 treatment drugs and 67 (43%) of the 156 critical acute drugs are in shortage status—and COVID cases are surging. Drug production is further compromised with the growing case-related manufacturing shutdowns occurring in Italy and India.
They write that there is an urgent need for new, more effective policy with robust transparency to solve the persistent drug shortage issues plaguing the US healthcare system.
The authors recommend several steps, including:
Part 6: "Ensuring a resilient US prescription drug supply" (Oct 21, 2020)
Welcome to "COVID-19: The CIDRAP Viewpoint." Our intent with the Viewpoint series is to add key information regarding the pandemic, address issues that haven't garnered the attention they deserve, and reflect the unique expertise among the CIDRAP team and our expert consultants.
In this periodic series of reports we will address timely issues with straight talk and clarity. And the steps we recommend will be based on our current reality and the best available data. Our goal is to help planners envision some of the situations that might present themselves later this year or next year so that they can take key steps now, while there’s still time.
Upcoming reports will address other pressing topics.
__________________________________________________ _______________
In the sixth Viewpoint report, published October 21, 2020, "Ensuring a resilient US prescription drug supply," CIDRAP experts note there are already growing shortages in the United States and Europe for COVID-19-related drugs.
Twenty-nine (73%) out of the 40 COVID-19 treatment drugs and 67 (43%) of the 156 critical acute drugs are in shortage status—and COVID cases are surging. Drug production is further compromised with the growing case-related manufacturing shutdowns occurring in Italy and India.
They write that there is an urgent need for new, more effective policy with robust transparency to solve the persistent drug shortage issues plaguing the US healthcare system.
The authors recommend several steps, including:
- The United States should have a national process and infrastructure for analyzing, predicting, managing and preventing shortages of critical medications.
- An in-depth map of the US drug supply chain is needed to identify where each drug product in the US market was made, including where the starting materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and finished drug product were produced.
- Congress should authorize and fund a national entity to build the map noted above, publish information on each drug’s supply chain, acquire and analyze prescription drug expenditure data, estimate the consequences of failing to address drug shortages, and coordinate the development of related national policy.
- This national entity could be an existing agency such as the FDA, NIH, National Library of Medicine, or US Pharmacopeia Convention. Alternatively, a new federal entity may be established.
- Prescription drug profiles for each drug product should be made publicly available on a consumer-friendly website and include key information.
- An ongoing research program on the resilience of the US drug supply chain should be conducted and include the development of a sentinel system that can detect signals that may precede a supply chain disruption or drug shortage.