Essential Medicines Report Now Available

May 23, 2022

The nation’s first Essential ​Medicines Supply Chain and Manufacturing Resilience Assessment by the U.S. government was released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). The assessment addresses pharmaceutical supply chain constraints identified in the Biden-Harris Administration’s 100-day supply chain review report, specifically those constraints affecting critical medicines on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s essential medicines list.

The action plan was developed by National Forum to Secure America’s Supply Chain, led by ASPR and a non-government organization, ARMI’s Next Foundry for American Biotechnology, and includes a prioritized list of medicines that the government can target for increased resilience to overcome current pharmaceutical supply chain challenges and constraints.

This report offers prioritized strategies and implementation actions to increase supply chain resilience—by addressing challenges and constraints—for the essential medicine supply chain, such as:

• Increased supply chain coordination, security, and transparency
• Expanded onshore or nearshore production capacity
• Advanced manufacturing capabilities and innovative research and development
• Purchasing, stockpiling, and distribution approaches

Through investments in R&D and supply chain resilience, the Bipartisan Innovation Act will support the building and reshoring of domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity to ensure that Americans have access to the essential medicines they need.

Read the full report.​​​​​​​​​​​​​