In August 2022, Georgia representative Buddy Carter (R) and other state reps introduced congress to a new bipartisan domestic manufacturing caucus for pharmaceutical goods in the United States. The caucus aims to regulate the pharmacy supply chain, as well as ensure that the aforementioned supply chain remains secure in response to recent global events.
The caucus will accomplish this goal by re-shoring and becoming less reliant on other nations for manufacturing. Many believe this caucus to be a smart move by the government since geopolitical events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russo-Ukrainian war have exposed weaknesses in the old infrastructure.
The other aim of the caucus is to do a better job of securing readily available pharmaceutical products in the event of natural disasters or nationwide health emergencies. Carter also says, “Securing our pharmaceutical supply chain is critical to combating the rise of foreign adversaries like China and protecting patients here at home.”
Amneal Pharmaceutical Inc. has also come forward in support, citing that the caucus provides a more “permanent legislative solution” to any future supply chain issues.
The creation of the bipartisan pharmaceutical manufacturing caucus has been in the works for many years, and Carter has been introducing legislation to improve domestic manufacturing since 2020.
This legislation includes the Made-in-America Act, which was passed back in 2021. This act aimed to make sure that the country is more prepared in the event of another pandemic, as well as reduce shortages and implement new manufacturing methods and technologies.
Michigan representative Elissa Slotkin (R) has also played a large role in the creation of the new caucus. She cites that this was a year in the making, and hopes that it will help with the domestic security of pharmaceutical supplies.
She also wants the caucus to place more emphasis on lowering health-care related costs for Americans.
In the Spring of 2022, she launched the Make Medicine Affordable Act, which helped in lowering the cost of prescription medications and helped to facilitate negotiations for medicare to lower prices. The legislation also made it so seniors could not spend more than $2000 on medicine monthly.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the conflicts abroad have caused several developments with supply chains and manufacturing in recent years, and the United States has experienced shortages of pharmaceutical products, as well as other goods.
It is the hope of the politicians responsible for the establishment of this new caucus that it will aid in the production of pharmaceutical goods in the U.S.
They also hope that it will help prevent shortages in an epidemic and lower prices for particular products. Many politicians who are not involved with the caucus are also hopeful that it will improve healthcare in general for Americans.
Amneal Pharmaceuticals has gone on record saying that they believe this to be a step in the right direction for pharmacy supply chains in America. When asked, co-chief executives Chirag and Chintu Patel stated, “We see the formation of this caucus as a key step towards the potential for a more permanent legislative solution that can drive meaningful change across our supply chain.”
