Strengthening the U.S. Pharmaceutical Supply Chain for Pandemic Preparedness: Strategies to Prevent Drug Shortages and Ensure Public Health Resilience

ABSTRACT

The U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain is crucial to public health resilience and national security, yet it faces significant vulnerabilities exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper explores the key challenges within the pharmaceutical supply chain, including heavy dependence on foreign Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), limited domestic manufacturing capacity, logistical inefficiencies, and the disruptions caused by geopolitical risks and economic pressures. The study identifies critical gaps in the system and proposes a set of strategic interventions aimed at strengthening supply chain resilience. These interventions include expanding domestic manufacturing capabilities, diversifying global sourcing, optimizing national stockpiles, leveraging digital transformation technologies such as AI and blockchain, and enhancing public-private partnerships. Furthermore, the paper recommends legislative reforms, financial incentives, and regulatory modernization to support these strategies. The paper concludes with a call for ongoing collaboration between the government and industry stakeholders to build a sustainable, flexible, and adaptive pharmaceutical supply chain capable of withstanding future public health emergencies.

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WSN 209 (2025) 170-184

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