Vulnerabilities
Utilizing information from the Meals and Drug Administration, the researchers recognized 10,861 drug amenities that had been energetic for at the least one 12 months between 2019 and 2024. These amenities characterize the array of producing phases of a drug, from analyzing uncooked drug supplies, manufacturing energetic elements, to packaging drug merchandise. The researchers then seemed on the county location of every of those amenities and whether or not any federally declared climate emergencies occurred in these counties through the interval. Climate-related emergencies included these from fires, hurricanes, storms, tornadoes, and floods.
Throughout the six-year span, 6,819 amenities (63 p.c) confronted at the least one weather-related emergency. Per 12 months, a median of two,146 amenities (33 p.c) skilled such an emergency.
The researchers famous that there was no statistically important distinction within the probability that counties with or with no drug facility would expertise a weather-related emergency. That’s, it is not the case that drug amenities have been in-built areas uniquely susceptible to climate-related disasters.
Nonetheless, with a 3rd of US amenities susceptible to climate disasters annually, the research clearly reveals how fraught it’s to have flimsy provide chains—like having a single plant produce 60 p.c of the nation’s provide of a vital drug product.
“These findings underscore the significance of recognizing climate-related vulnerabilities and the pressing want for provide chain transparency, for strategic allocation of manufacturing, and for catastrophe threat administration methods to stop well being care disruptions within the US,” the authors conclude.
