Supply Chain Issues Impacting Pharmacies

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  • JCSR

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    mbills are you seeing this locally? What is being done about it?

     

    JCSR

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    How many of the affected medications are manufactured in the US?
    I would say very few........

    According to the Council on Foreign Relations, American companies have grown increasingly reliant upon pharmaceutical imports from China and India. As of March 2020, 80% of active pharmaceutical ingredients and 90% of generic medicines come from the two nations.
     

    Methane Herder

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    Lots of ingredients mfg. in India (doesn't give me a warm fuzzy) and base stocks from PRC have bonus rocket fuel ingredients.
    Unfortunately, currently, you have no choice with some drugs, other than just not taking them.

    MH
     
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    Leadeye

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    I always thought it strange that Chlorodane, a pesticide banned banned from use in the US but not other parts of the world is still made here. Permethrin, probably the most common sold in the US is not made here, go figure.:scratch:

    Being in the chemical industry I've watched so much stuff move overseas since the 70s, it's scary to think where we would be if some countries simply said no more for what ever reason. Chemical plants, like any other large manufacturing facility, just can't be conjured up. There would be a period of time where Americans would be forced to do without a lot of things.
     

    Leadeye

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    The supply chain issues are a manifestation of a lot of smaller issues that have grown into where we are today. Likewise they will take a while to go away. Regardless of what the government does with boats, ports, trucks and trains this will stick around until we start making more stuff here. Critical, perishable, things like meds people use every day would be a place to start. I'll admit that my familiarity with military hardware runs out with the 70s. I have to ask, if our car production has been hurt by lack of chinese chips, what about chips that go into the big green macnine?
     

    76Too

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    I always thought it strange that Chlorodane, a pesticide banned banned from use in the US but not other parts of the world is still made here. Permethrin, probably the most common sold in the US is not made here, go figure.:scratch:
    I’d think this probably had more to do with intellectual property rights than anything, no?
     

    Ingomike

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    At one point I read the Trump admin was working with Kodak to convert old photography chemical plants to be a new source of the bases needed to manufacture drugs. I’m sure there was an Bidet EO ending that if Cuomo hadn’t already killed it.

    Welost a lot more than most know when they stole the election…
     

    1gunaholic

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    I've had three Covid booster appointments canceled because the shipment wasn't delivered.
    Not only boosters, but CVS has cancelled our appointments for shingles vaccines and flu shots. Thought CVS was a BIG outfit that could get anything we needed. Ended up going to Kroger pharmacy the same day.
     

    JCSR

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    At one point I read the Trump admin was working with Kodak to convert old photography chemical plants to be a new source of the bases needed to manufacture drugs. I’m sure there was an Bidet EO ending that if Cuomo hadn’t already killed it.

    Welost a lot more than most know when they stole the election…
    Yes and yes.........

    Bringing drug manufacture back to America (and New York): Another Trump triumph​


    What a surprise......

    New York AG petitions for Kodak CEO to testify in insider trading case​

     

    mbills2223

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    There is a lot to unpack here. I work in an independent pharmacy and we utilize one of the big three wholesalers (Cardinal, McKesson and Amerisource make up the big 3), so we have somewhat similar buying power to chains when it comes to short term/on demand ordering. Drug shortages have always been a problem for one reason or another, but lately has been a bit different. We aren't seeing shortages due to recalls or raw ingredient shortages, it is primarily transport issues from manufacturers to regional wholesaler warehouses. Truthfully, country of origin seems to be irrelevant in the current shortages. I will also say the shortages have been very intermittent, and unlike in the past, they have only been impacting high dollar, branded medications. I assume this is because they control manufacturing much more closely due to cost control versus cheap generic manufacturers that churn out millions of tablets at a time.

    I'm not overly concerned at this point, as the longest I've seen a supply shortage last recently had been about two weeks. To help our patients, we've been looking out further for refills to give us plenty of time to source, and when necessary we will call patient and prescriber for an alternative. For example, recently Levemir insulin was unavailable and a patient was out. Just called the doc and had a similar product called in...crisis averted. My only concern is that the chain pharmacies aren't taking the time to make an effort to help patients being affected by this.

    Overall, no major cause for concern just yet, mostly inconvenient. Also makes controlling my inventory an absolute pain in the ass.
     

    mbills2223

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    Should also add that the article mentions antibiotics, heart drugs, etc from the FDA list. Someone not in pharmacy wouldn't fully know what they are looking at necessarily. I've not noticed any antibiotics, heart meds, or other important but ubiquitous drugs being complete unavailable. Sure, one manufacturer may be out, but there are generally a dozen others to choose from. The FDA will list anything in shortage, but it doesn't mean that drug is completely unavailable, just that one manufacturer is. Don't panic y'all, the media always over hypes and completely misunderstands/misinterprets all things related to pharmacy supply chain or drug recalls.
     

    JCSR

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    There is a lot to unpack here. I work in an independent pharmacy and we utilize one of the big three wholesalers (Cardinal, McKesson and Amerisource make up the big 3), so we have somewhat similar buying power to chains when it comes to short term/on demand ordering. Drug shortages have always been a problem for one reason or another, but lately has been a bit different. We aren't seeing shortages due to recalls or raw ingredient shortages, it is primarily transport issues from manufacturers to regional wholesaler warehouses. Truthfully, country of origin seems to be irrelevant in the current shortages. I will also say the shortages have been very intermittent, and unlike in the past, they have only been impacting high dollar, branded medications. I assume this is because they control manufacturing much more closely due to cost control versus cheap generic manufacturers that churn out millions of tablets at a time.

    I'm not overly concerned at this point, as the longest I've seen a supply shortage last recently had been about two weeks. To help our patients, we've been looking out further for refills to give us plenty of time to source, and when necessary we will call patient and prescriber for an alternative. For example, recently Levemir insulin was unavailable and a patient was out. Just called the doc and had a similar product called in...crisis averted. My only concern is that the chain pharmacies aren't taking the time to make an effort to help patients being affected by this.

    Overall, no major cause for concern just yet, mostly inconvenient. Also makes controlling my inventory an absolute pain in the ass.
    Thanks for a report from ground zero. Sounds like more work is dumped on you guys. Every time I'm at a pharmacy they are all humping, no sitting or playing on their phones. I do appreciate the efforts and let them know. Same goes for you. :rockwoot:
     

    mbills2223

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    Thanks for a report from ground zero. Sounds like more work is dumped on you guys. Every time I'm at a pharmacy they are all humping, no sitting or playing on their phones. I do appreciate the efforts and let them know. Same goes for you. :rockwoot:
    Thanks for that. It's a tough business....always have to do more with less because PBMs completely control our margins, and they aren't getting any better lol
     

    Ingomike

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    Yes and yes.........

    Bringing drug manufacture back to America (and New York): Another Trump triumph​


    What a surprise......

    New York AG petitions for Kodak CEO to testify in insider trading case​


    But, it can’t be true. I’m a conspiracy theorist…
     
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