Drug Safety Summit Discusses Impact of COVID-19 on Pharma Supply Chain

The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) announced on August 4, 2020 that American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and USP hosted a drug safety summit on July 27–31, 2020 to discuss the state of the pharmaceutical supply chain in the United States and the impact of COVID-19 on the supply chain. The summit was conducted virtually, and attendees included representatives from clinical groups, industry, supply chain, and the public sector.

Participants discussed continuous manufacturing, 3D printing of drugs, and the role of public-private partnerships in developing new technologies. The diversification of the global supply chain and the establishment of a list of essential medicines to produce in the US were addressed.

“The rapid global outbreak of COVID-19 and its negative ripple effect on patients’ access to critical medicines have called attention to increasing concerns about the stability and security of the US drug supply. Overseas consolidation of manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), limited visibility into the origins and sourcing of drug ingredients, and drug shortages caused by natural disasters like Hurricane Maria contribute to the vulnerability of the supply chain. According to the Food and Drug Administration, 72% of API manufacturers are located outside of the United States, and 13% are in China,” USP stated in a press release.

A report on the summit proceedings will be release later in the year.

Source: USP