Supply Chain

Managing supplies is a crucial part of moving medical products from the manufacturer to patient’s bedside. Efficient supply chains can reduce healthcare costs and make medical devices more affordable for patients and health systems. This news page includes content on supply shortages, inventory management, and procurement practices.

‘Gray market’ vendors hike up prices during drug shortages, leaving hospitals in a bind

Hospital executives find themselves in a challenging position—pay big bucks for hard-to-find medications or risk letting their patients down. 

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FDA warning letter details quality concerns, violations at Integra facility

The facility in question is responsible for producing collagen-based medical devices primarily used in wound care, soft tissue repair and complex reconstruction surgeries. 

Pfizer facility on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, after damage from severe weather. TRAVIS LONG/THE NEWS & OBSERVER VIA AP

Pfizer plant takes heavy tornado damage, loses approximately 50,000 pallets of sterile injectables

The Rocky Mount, North Carolina-based facility is said to be responsible for producing 25% of Pfizer’s sterile injectables used by hospitals in the U.S.

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Moderna's updated COVID vaccine now awaits FDA authorization

"We have been working diligently for months to build ample supply, with doses ready to ship in time for the fall vaccination season in the Northern Hemisphere,” Moderna's CEO said in the announcement.

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Merck sues US government over Medicare's drug price negotiation liberties, calls program a 'sham'

Merck believes the Inflation Reduction Act-launched effort “coerces” manufacturers to enter into agreements to sell their top products at a fraction of their actual value.

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Integra poised to take $60 million hit following voluntary recall of devices manufactured at Boston facility

Production of Integra’s SurgiMend, PriMatrix, Revize and TissueMend products has been temporarily halted due to the recalls, although the company said it has not received any customer complaints. 

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FDA approval of several impactful drugs could be delayed if US defaults on debt

The FDA’s process of reviewing and approving drugs and devices could be put on hold, if lawmakers fail to reach a deal related to the debt ceiling.

FDA seeking upwards of $7B for 2024

The Food and Drug Administration has put in for a $7.2 billion chunk of the $6.9 trillion federal budget for fiscal year 2024 that President Joe Biden proposed March 9.

Around the web

HHS has thought through the ways AI can and should become an integral part of healthcare, human services and public health. Last Friday—possibly just days ahead of seating a new secretary—the agency released a detailed plan for getting there from here.

Philips is recalling the software associated with its Mobile Cardiac Outpatient Telemetry devices after certain high-risk ECG events were never routed to trained cardiology technicians as intended. The issue, which lasted for two years, has been linked to more than 100 injuries. 

Heart Rhythm Society President Kenneth A. Ellenbogen, MD, detailed a new advocacy group focused on improving EP reimbursements, patient care and access. “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu," he said.