It’s a shaky pharmaceutical supply chain
💊 It’s a shaky pharmaceutical supply chain.
The ongoing drug shortage crisis in the United States, particularly in the field of cancer drugs, highlights the failures of the pharmaceutical supply chain and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Quality management issues and poor supply chain coordination have led to critical shortages, forcing oncologists to ration life-saving drugs and modify treatment plans. While low-profit margins are often blamed for drug shortages, the reality is that drug manufacturers have high gross margins. The root cause of shortages is often quality issues that disrupt the drug supply, with more than 60% of shortages attributed to such issues. The FDA's role in ensuring drug safety and quality is critical but has been inadequate, as evidenced by delayed inspections and inadequate oversight of domestic and foreign manufacturers.
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