President Biden signed an Executive Order calling for a 100-day review of the United States’ pharmaceutical supply chains in an effort to create more resilient and secure access to essential pharmaceuticals while reducing overreliance on foreign competitors. This Executive Order is driven largely by the personal protective equipment and ventilator shortages health-care workers experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as other critical supply shortages in non–health-care sectors.
During the review, federal agencies will document critical goods and materials within pharmaceutical supply chains, manufacturing and production requirements, supply chain disruption or elimination risks, and current U.S. capacity. In addition to identifying the risks and vulnerabilities in supply chains for pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients, agencies will also provide policy recommendations to address these risks and vulnerabilities.
Following the review, federal agencies plan to work with allies and partners to strengthen the resilience of America’s pharmaceutical supply chains.
ASCO supports the Biden administration’s efforts to review and support the strengthening of pharmaceutical supply chains. ASCO has long advocated for the evaluation and strengthening of American pharmaceutical supply chain systems, and the Association will continue to monitor and provide updates on the Administration’s actions in response to this Executive Order.
© 2021. American Society of Clinical Oncology. All rights reserved.
