Just as pandemic-related supply chain turbulence appeared to be settling, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has thrown up new challenges, with experts now also drawing attention to the possible commodities-related impact on medical products.
In an interview with Scrip, Matruprasad Priyadarshi, senior director, regional program operations, US Pharmacopeia (USP) South Asia, indicated that while less than 1% of the drug product and active ingredient facilities registered with the US Food and Drug Administration are located in Ukraine, Belarus or Russia, shipping delays that began with COVID-19 have been exacerbated by the Ukraine crisis and many imported pharmaceuticals enter the US by sea
“The need for onshoring will need to be assessed on a medicine-by-medicine basis. Some medicines are only made in a few locations, making them particularly vulnerable to geopolitical shocks
