Health Inc Season 4, Episode 3 – Supply chain as a CDoH
Co-hosted by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Governance, Transparency, and Accountability in the Pharmaceutical Sector
Title: Untangling the webs we weave: Exploring global supply chains and drug shortages
Speakers: Mina Tadrous, Lisa Hedman
Bio: Lisa Hedman is a Senior Advisor in the WHO Division of Access to Medicines and Health Products (MHP) with a focus on access to medicines, supply chain strategies and partnerships. Prior to joining WHO, she developed and led numerous global supply initiatives, strategic procurement and market shaping programs, public health emergency responses, regulatory affairs strategies and capacity development programs. As part of her work, she has spent years working with national governments to build capacity in procurement and supply chain across multiple countries. She holds master’s degrees in business and healthcare administration.
Bio: Dr. Mina Tadrous is Assistant Professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto and the Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Real-world Evidence and Pharmaceutical Policy. He is also a Scientist at Women’s College Hospital, a Fellow with the Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (WIHV), co-director with the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN), and adjunct scientist with the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). He works closely with policymakers and uses large data sets to answer questions about medication real-world safety and effectiveness and improving the optimal use of medications.
Abstract: This presentation will introduce the global nature and the complexity of supply chains as a key commercial determinant of health, focusing on their pivotal role in the pharmaceutical industry and the critical issue of drug shortages. We will explore how supply chain disruptions lead to drug shortages, illustrated by recent case studies and evidence, and highlight the interconnectedness of global supply chains. We will explore the inequities in supply chains, and their disproportionate impact on low- and middle-income countries that face greater challenges in securing a stable supply of essential drugs. The wide-ranging consequences of supply chain breakdowns, including increased harm, higher healthcare costs, and exacerbation of existing health disparities, will be examined. Finally, we will discuss potential solutions and strategies to strengthen supply chains, policy recommendations, and the importance of international collaboration to ensure a more resilient and equitable supply chain system.
Recommended readings:
Suda KJ, Tadrous M. Sum of the parts: Ensuring a resilient global drug supply chain. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2021 May;42(5):598-599. doi: 10.1017/ice.2021.138.
Callaway Kim K, Rothenberger SD, Tadrous M, et al. Drug Shortages Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(4):e244246. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.4246
Choi Y, Santhireswaran A, Chu C, Suda KJ, Hernandez I, Magnani JW, Tadrous M. Effects of the July 2018 worldwide valsartan recall and shortage on global trends in antihypertensive medication use: a time-series analysis in 83 countries. BMJ Open. 2023 Jan 27;13(1):e068233. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068233.
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