In 2024, Hurricane Helene triggered a nationwide shortage of the country’s intravenous (IV) fluids after damaging a facility in North Carolina. A similar IV fluid shortage was caused when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017. A new, nationwide study led by ACS scientists found that nearly two-thirds of all pharmaceutical-producing facilities in the US were located in a county that experienced at least one weather disaster declaration. These disasters, like hurricanes, wildfires, and floods, posed risks for disruptions to facilities active in all aspects of the drug supply chain. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).“Drug shortages following weather disasters demonstrate how the pharmaceutical supply chain is not yet resilient to climate-related disruptions,” said Dr. Leticia Nogueira, scientific director, health services research, and senior author of the study. “A limited number of facilities may manufacture significant shares of key therapeutics. This could put many people in need of lifesaving drug treatment at risk of disruptions or delays in care.”“These findings underscore the importance of recognizing climate-related vulnerabilities and the urgent need for supply chain transparency that allows integration of disaster risk management strategies into strategic resource allocation throughout the pharmaceutical supply chain,” added Nogueira. “Moving forward, threats must be examined and proactively mitigated to prevent critical health care disruptions.”“Life-saving cancer drugs, especially older generic sterile injectable drugs, have been in chronic shortages due to a combination of factors, including economic reasons and natural disasters. ACS CAN has been working with lawmakers and federal agencies to address systemic vulnerabilities and create a more resilient system to ensure patients can access the medications they need without disruptions to their care. This study illustrates the need for redundancy in the drug supply chain,” said Mark E. Fleury, PhD, principal, policy development - emerging science at ACS CAN. “ACS CAN helps to lead a drug shortage task force that includes over 20 organizations working to create data-driven solutions to drug shortages.”
