Fragile antibiotic supply chain causes shortages and is a national security threat, reports Forbes

Judy Stone writes about antibiotic shortages and the Foundation’s new white paper about the underlying systemic causes for the shortages.

Judy’s article connects the recommendations made in the white paper “Shortages, stockouts and scarcity: the issues facing the security of antibiotic supply and the role for pharmaceutical companies”, with broader issues relating to national security and over-reliance on a handful of manufacturers in just a few countries.

Judy highlights the shortage of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) often developed only in Asia, and the risks of substituting broad-spectrum antibiotics in prescriptions which can contribute to the growing antibiotic resistance challenges.