On Wednesday, July 19, Pfizer’s Rocky Mount, NC manufacturing facility was damaged by a tornado. The facility produces nearly 8 percent of the sterile injectables used in U.S. hospitals, according to Pfizer’s July 21 press release, and there has been significant concern about the potential impact on the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Pfizer identified a subset of 65 products made at the facility that may experience continued or new supply disruptions following this weather event. Leveraging insights from the Medicine Supply Map, USP identified Pfizer’s market size and alternative suppliers for these products to encourage stakeholders such as wholesalers, manufacturers and hospitals and other buyers to take action to improve resiliency.
During times of supply disruption, meaningful and transparent information can help purchasers and other supply chain stewards plan for alternatives. In this case, most of the affected products are available from other suppliers. Improved supply chain visibility and information sharing can minimize the impact to patient care when disruptions occur and strengthen supply chain resilience.