Drug Safety Summit Examined National Security Implications of Global Manufacturing

Hosted by the American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists), and United States Pharmacopeia

Leading healthcare groups convened a summit, “Safe, Effective, and Accessible High-Quality Medicines as a Matter of National Security,” on July 27-31 to examine the resilience of the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain in light of the current state of global pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The summit was hosted by the American Hospital Association (AHA), American Medical Association (AMA), ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists), and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP).

The rapid global outbreak of COVID-19 and its negative ripple effect on patients’ access to critical medicines have called attention to increasing concerns about the stability and security of the U.S. drug supply. Overseas consolidation of manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), limited visibility into the origins and sourcing of drug ingredients, and drug shortages caused by natural disasters like Hurricane Maria contribute to the vulnerability of the supply chain. According to the Food and Drug Administration, 72 percent of API manufacturers are located outside of the United States, and 13 percent are in China.^[1]

In daily virtual sessions throughout the week, representatives from clinician groups, industry, supply chain, and the public sector discussed global pharmaceutical manufacturing as a national security priority. Topics explored during the summit included advanced technologies such as continuous manufacturing and 3-D printing of drug products, which offer the possibility of improving the efficiency and nimbleness of the production process for oral and parenteral drugs. Participants also discussed the role of public-private partnerships in developing and disseminating new technologies, diversifying the global supply chain, and establishing a list of essential medicines to produce in the United States.

The summit conveners will release a report outlining the summit proceedings later this year.

Subject matter experts and representatives from the convening organizations are available to speak with media by inquiring with the media contacts listed below.

About the AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks and other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit www.aha.org.

About AMA
The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care.  The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.

About ASHP

ASHP represents pharmacists who serve as patient care providers in acute and ambulatory settings. The organization’s nearly 55,000 members include pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians. For more than 75 years, ASHP has been at the forefront of efforts to improve medication use and enhance patient safety. For more information about the wide array of ASHP activities and the many ways in which pharmacists advance healthcare, visit ASHP’s website, ashp.org, or its consumer website, SafeMedication.com.

About USP

USP is an independent scientific organization that collaborates with the world's top experts in health and science to develop quality standards for medicines, dietary supplements, and food ingredients. Through our standards, advocacy and education, USP helps increase the availability of quality medicines, supplements and food for billions of people worldwide. For more information about USP, visit www.usp.org.

 

MEDIA CONTACTS:

AHA: Colin Milligan, [email protected], 202-626-2264

AMA: Joshua Zembik, [email protected], 312.464.4048

ASHP: Aretha Hankinson, [email protected], 301-664-8799

USP: Theresa Laranang-Mutlu, [email protected], 240-460-3919