NEWS
CORONAVIRUS NEWS • WEEK OF FEB. 17-21 China reports sharp drop in new cases, but doubts re-emerge over data
situation, [and] the Australians, Canadians.
U.S. lawmakers to boost U.S. production
I’m speaking mostly generic medicines,
of medical masks. Bowen wrote President
which are 90% of the medicines we take.”
Barack Obama in 2010 and President
The Hubei province at the center of the
Read more of Gibson’s opinions here.
Donald Trump in 2017, warning of the
novel coronavirus outbreak reported
million masks a day if it runs its machines
infections raised concerns about the reliability of the data. The China death toll
Drugmakers in India, which produce 20%
Texas facility, scarred by the boom-bust
tops 2,000 and cases top 75,000. Initially,
of the world’s drug supply by volume, are
cycle that occurred after the swine flu
Chinese authorities were using nucleic
bracing for potential disruption from the
pandemic in 2009. Read more here.
acid tests to confirm virus presence, but
coronavirus. The outbreak threatens to
those tests require days of processing and
disrupt the supply of raw materials from
led to nucleic acid shortages. The Hubei
China. Enough supplies are currently on
U.S. hospitals prep for spread of coronavirus in the states
province introduced a faster diagnostic
hand to continue production, but opera-
Hospitals are bracing for the potential
method last week through CT scans to
tions could be threatened if the outbreak
spread of coronavirus in the U.S. The
reveal lung infections and confirm the
continues to cause disruption in China.
strict quarantine and screening measures
virus, leading to a sharp increase in cases.
Approximately 70% of the raw materi-
enacted by the CDC have given hospi-
However, on Wednesday, authorities said
als India uses in drug manufacturing are
tals time to review their pandemic plans
they were removing that category of clini-
imported from China, and the Hubei
and stockpile needed equipment. “We’re
cally diagnosed cases from their criteria
province is a major production hub. India
buying some time now that it hasn’t really
of confirmed cases, resulting in 279 cases
is the world’s largest exporter of generic
spread so much in the United States,” Dr.
being removed from the Hubei count.
drugs, sending large volumes to the U.S.
Mark Jarrett, the chief quality officer for
Read more here.
It’s estimated that companies that make
Northwell Health (New York, NY), told
anti-infective and hormone therapies
MedicineNet. “That’s giving us a chance
are most at risk from material shortages.
to gear up factories and address supply
Read more here.
chain issues.” The coronavirus epidemic
another change in how China diagnoses
Expert warns of mass U.S. medicine shortages by mid-March if COVID-19 continues to ravage China
24
shortage. Prestige Ameritech can make 1
Drugmakers in India particularly vulnerable to shortages due to coronavirus
a steep drop in new cases. However,
around the clock. However, Bowen is hesitant to ramp up production at his
has hampered supply chains out of China and is highlighting the problems with U.S.
Rosemary Gibson wrote the book, “China
Texas manufacturer caught in coronavirus supply chain panic
Rx: Exposing the Risks of America’s
Prestige Ameritech (Fort Worth, TX), a
supply orders. That, on top of a tough
Dependence on China for Medicine,” and
full-line domestic surgical mask manufac-
U.S. flu season, is straining the capacity of
she predicts the U.S. will see shortages of
turer, was producing 600,000 masks each
many hospitals. Read more here.
medicines by mid-March if conditions
day but struggling to meet demand as the
do not vastly improve in China due to
number of coronavirus cases in China
coronavirus. “We should never have been
skyrocketed in the past week. CEO Mike
Outbreak helps U.S. lawmakers push case on drug shortage bills
in this situation,” Gibson told WCNC
Bowen was receiving cold calls on his cell
With no end in sight for the coronavirus
(Charlotte, NC). “All roads lead to China
phone from people saying they represent-
outbreak, it is prompting fears of drug
in the core ingredients, the chemicals, the
ed foreign governments and wanted to
shortages in the U.S. due to the pharma-
molecules – the real starting material to
make bulk purchases. Bowen said this was
ceutical supply chain’s reliance on China.
make our medicines. China’s dominance
the exact scenario he predicted 15 years
The epidemic is helping U.S. lawmakers
is global. The Europeans are in the same
ago when he asked federal agencies and
who were already working on bills to
hospitals’ dependence on “just-in-time”
March 2020 | The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
