
After Tornado Damages Pfizer Plant, Hospitals Brace for Shortages
Analysts warned of the potential for some shortages until the company can move production elsewhere. The North Carolina plant produces a quarter of the company’s sterile injectables used in hospitals.
This article was originally
With a large Pfizer plant in North Carolina suffering extensive damage after being struck by a tornado, hospital officials are waiting to see the extent and duration of shortages.
Supply chain experts warned of the potential for at least some shortages, and hospitals have been dealing with supply chain interruptions repeatedly since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Erin Fox, PharmD, senior pharmacy director at University of Utah Health, told
The tornado struck near Pfizer’s plant in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Wednesday, the
Pfizer relies on the facility as a key source for sterile injectables. The plant produces nearly a quarter of Pfizer’s sterile injectables used in US hospitals, the drug company said on its website.
The plant produces a host of other products, including “anesthesia, analgesia, therapeutics, anti-infectives and neuromuscular blockers,” Pfizer said. The company said the Rocky Mount plant is one of the biggest sterile injectable producers in the world, with 1.4 million square feet of manufacturing space. Pfizer said the facility ships more than 200 million units annually.
“We are assessing the situation to determine the impact on production,” Pfizer
The
“Many of the most severe and persistent shortages are among sterile injectables like those manufactured at the storm-damaged Pfizer plant,” the ASHP said on its website.
Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone told
Robert Califf, MD, commissioner of the Food & Drug Administration, said he has been in touch with Pfizer leadership to learn the extent of the damage and the impact on drug supplies.
“We’re following the situation closely,” Califf
The tornado damage to the Pfizer plant looms as
Throughout the spring,
Last year, hospitals and providers faced
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists has issued several recommendations to reduce supply chain interruptions. The organization calls for diversifying the manufacturing base and developing more transparency in production.
The group has also called on Congress to impose more meaningful penalties for companies that don't develop risk management plans or report manufacturing and supply chain data as required.
Newsletter
Stay ahead of policy, cost, and value—subscribe to AJMC for expert insights at the intersection of clinical care and health economics.