The University of Minnesota's CIDRAP Releases Report on Global pandemic-related drug shortages
Introduction
The University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), in conjunction with the New Zealand Medicines & Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe) and the Walton Family Foundation, recently released a report on the critical drugs in short supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. The complete list of drugs can be found here. Of particular concern is that many of these essential drugs are sourced from China, Italy, and India - countries struggling to contain the COVID-19 outbreak within their borders.
The U of M's CIDRAP has long been a leading voice in public health, emergency preparedness, and infectious disease control. So this latest report is just one more example of their commitment to keeping the public informed and safe. In addition to identifying the drugs most at risk of shortage, the report also offers recommendations for mitigating risks and preparing for future pandemics. Given the current state of affairs, this is information that every healthcare organization should have at their fingertips.
What's Included in the Report?
The CIDRAP report includes a list of 156 drugs that are considered essential for acute care and would lead to patient mortality within a few hours to days if they were unavailable. These drugs are broken down into categories based on their therapeutic use, with the majority falling under the category of "anesthesiology and pain management" (45 drugs), followed by "cardiology" (27 drugs) and "infectious diseases" (24 drugs).
A closer look at the list reveals that many of these critical drugs are sourced from China, India, or Italy - countries severely impacted by COVID-19.
What Drugs are in Short Supply?
According to the CIDRAP report, 15 drug classes are "critical" during a respiratory pandemic like COVID-19. They are:
- Anesthetics
- Antibiotics
- Cardiovascular drugs
- Contrast media/dyes
- Diabetes drugs/insulin
- Gastrointestinal drugs
- Immunoglobulins/plasma products/serums
- Nephrology drugs/dialysis products
- Neurology drugs/anticonvulsants
- Oncology drugs/chemotherapy agents
- Ophthalmology drugs/solutions
- Pain medications (opioids, etc.)
- Respiratory therapy drugs/inhalers
- Sedatives/hypnotics
Of these 15 drug classes, 12 are sourced from China, Italy, or India - with China being the primary source for 9 of them. This dependence on foreign manufacturers presents a serious risk to our global supply chain, as illustrated by recent events. For example, production at Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical - one of China's leading producers of APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) - was halted for nearly 2 weeks in February after several employees tested positive for COVID-19. This event caused a ripple effect throughout the global supply chain, with shortages reported as far away as New Zealand.
It's worth noting that this isn't the first time our globalized economy has been brought to its knees by a viral outbreak. For example, the 2003 SARS pandemic resulted in severe shortages of gloves, gowns, masks, and other PPE (personal protective equipment). At that time, it was exposed just how vulnerable our system was to sudden shocks like an infectious disease outbreak. In response to those findings, steps were taken to improve our global supply chains - but it's clear that more needs to be done if we're going to be prepared for the next pandemic.
Conclusion:
As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, we're becoming more vulnerable to global shocks like infectious disease outbreaks. For example, the University of Minnesota's CIDRAP recently released a report detailing which drugs are most at risk of shortage during a pandemic - many of which are sourced from countries currently struggling to contain COVID-19 within their borders. This is just one more example of why we need to do more to prepare for future pandemics. We can start by diversifying our global supply chains and stockpiling essential medications. But we also need to be better about sharing information and collaborating across borders to respond to threats as they emerge effectively. We can protect ourselves from future pandemics only by working together.
