Opinion: To protect the medical supply chain, ‘made in America’ will be key
STAT December 14, 2022
The Covid-19 pandemic exposed a serious flaw in the United States’ medical supply chain: an overreliance on imported supplies. Reinvigorating a domestic supply chain is an important step toward protecting Americans’ health and the country’s national security.
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, supply chain breakdowns and export restrictions made it difficult, if not impossible, for hospitals to import crucial materials, from N95 masks to life-saving drugs. China, which then accounted for more than 85% of all U.S. imports of personal protective equipment (PPE) — including N-95 and other disposable and non-disposable face masks, surgical drapes, and surgical towels — decreased its exports of PPE, removing critical supplies from markets across the globe.
In the first year of the...