Savannah Standard

The White House has introduced measures to combat the supply chain crisis and the shortage of over 240 essential medications. This is in response to U.S. Representative Carter's leadership on the issue, who has been actively advocating for strengthening the nation's pharmaceutical supply chains. The initiatives involve using the Defense Production Act and other regulatory groups.

Representative Carter's office issued a press release in which he stated, "As a pharmacist, ensuring that life-saving medications are accessible, available, and affordable has been one of my top priorities in Congress. I’m glad that the White House has paid attention to this bipartisan effort and is working towards building a more resilient domestic pharmaceutical supply chain and stockpiling essential medications on both the national and state levels. We have a lot more work to do, including passing my MADE in America Act, but this is a positive step that will bring relief to Americans and our health care system."

Carter plays a crucial role in addressing pharmaceutical concerns at Washington due to his background as a pharmacist and his position as Chair of the Domestic Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Caucus.

Shortages have impacted states' ability to cater to citizens' health and safety needs which can be partially attributed to reliance on China and other foreign sources for pharmaceuticals. Chinese imports constitute 95% of ibuprofen, 91% of hydrocortisone, 70% of acetaminophen, and between 40-45% of penicillin used in the U.S.

Drawing from Rep. Carter's bipartisan legislation such as the Manufacturing API, Drugs, Excipients (MADE) in America Act, State Strategic Stockpile Act, Essential Medicine Strategic Stockpile Act among others; The White House plan aims at utilizing Defense Production Act to bolster domestic production of essential medicines besides creating a White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience as well as instituting Global Regulatory Working Group on Drug Shortages.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that about 72% of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for the U.S. drug supply come from over 150 countries, with China alone contributing 13%. Additionally, for personal protective equipment (PPE), the U.S. relies heavily on foreign sources, sourcing approximately 95% of surgical masks and 70% of more secure respirators, including N95 masks, from overseas.