Health Inc. Seminar Series- Untangling the webs we weave Exploring global supply chains and drug shortages

  • Jan 30
    Noon-1pm

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Untangling the webs we weave: Exploring global supply chains and drug shortages

Featuring Lisa Hedman, Senior Advisor in the WHO Division of Access to Medicines and Health Products and Mina Tadrous, Assistant Professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

January 30, 2025 | 12 PM – 1 PM | Online via Zoom (register for zoom link)

Lisa Hedman and Mina Tadrous will introduce the global nature and the complexity of supply chains as a key commercial determinant of health, focusing on their pivotal role in the pharmaceutical industry and the critical issue of drug shortages. They will explore how supply chain disruptions lead to drug shortages, illustrated by recent case studies and evidence, and highlight the interconnectedness of global supply chains.

They will also explore the inequities in supply chains, and their disproportionate impact on low- and middle-income countries that face greater challenges in securing a stable supply of essential drugs. The wide-ranging consequences of supply chain breakdowns, including increased harm, higher healthcare costs, and exacerbation of existing health disparities, will be examined. Finally, they will discuss potential solutions and strategies to strengthen supply chains, policy recommendations, and the importance of international collaboration to ensure a more resilient and equitable supply chain system.

Recommended readings:

Suda KJ, Tadrous M. Sum of the parts: Ensuring a resilient global drug supply chain. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2021 May;42(5):598-599. doi: 10.1017/ice.2021.138.

Callaway Kim K, Rothenberger SD, Tadrous M, et al. Drug Shortages Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(4):e244246. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.4246

Choi Y, Santhireswaran A, Chu C, Suda KJ, Hernandez I, Magnani JW, Tadrous M. Effects of the July 2018 worldwide valsartan recall and shortage on global trends in antihypertensive medication use: a time-series analysis in 83 countries. BMJ Open. 2023 Jan 27;13(1):e068233. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068233.