Vizient pharmacy expert Mittal Sutaria, senior vice president, contract and program services, shared insights regarding Vizient's work on behalf of its providers to mitigate harm caused by supply disruptions at a July 28 White House roundtable discussion on cancer drug shortages. Attended by an esteemed group of participants from across the supply chain and within the administration, the discussion focused on how to ensure patients have access to cancer drugs during shortages and how to build resilience into the supply of these drugs.
"There are various causes for drug shortages, ranging from quality issues and unanticipated natural disasters to raw material procurement issues, emphasizing the incredible need for transparency throughout the supply chain," Sutaria said. "If we could solve for this lack of transparency within various segments of the pharmaceutical supply chain, then we could better understand the potential market impact due of an unanticipated disruption leading to drug shortages and employ strategies to manage even them proactively. Discussions like these can help us make progress toward that goal."
As the only group purchasing organization represented at the White House, Vizient has a longstanding commitment to partnering across the supply chain to create innovative solutions to enhance supply chain assurance. One such solution is the Drug Shortages Rapid Response Team, which provides timely information and resources to drug supply disruptions. The team recently published multiple resources regarding the tornado that struck the Pfizer plant in North Carolina. A white paper on cancer drug shortages also was published recently by Vizient that offers data and insight into the drivers behind these shortages. And innovative sourcing strategies such as Novaplus Enhanced Supply (NES), which includes manufacturing of buffer inventory of essential medications, to date has helped members access over two million units through the program.
"We appreciate the administration's efforts to bring together key industry stakeholders to discuss ongoing pharmaceutical supply challenges, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with government and healthcare partners to end drug shortages," Sutaria said.