Surveillance and Security in US Medicine and Equipment Supply Chains

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities of the United States’ routine and emergency supply chains of medicines and critical equipment. These vulnerabilities underscore an urgent need to prevent routine and emergency shortages by making drug manufacturing more transparent and by tracking how key supplies get to end users. Near real-time surveillance systems must be developed to monitor fluctuations in supplies of medicines and equipment. Implementation of such systems will require getting key stakeholders (clinicians, administrators, community members, manufacturers, and policy makers) to collaborate.