Biden administration expands HHS authority to bolster US medical supply chain

Editor's Note

The Biden Administration will issue a “Presidential Determination” that will expand the authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in order to boost the domestic supply chain for essential medicines, a November 27 HHS press release reports. 

The measure will include new investment in domestic manufacturing of essential medicines, medical countermeasures, and other measures deemed essential for national defense. HHS will also designate a Supply Chain Resilience and Shortage Coordinator to support these efforts. 

As part of these efforts, HHS will direct $35 million toward domestic production of key starting materials for sterile injectable medicines to prepare the US for future pandemics and public health emergencies. Other agencies will assess the US Public Health Industrial Base supply chain, and make recommendations about designing and building long-term capabilities in the US for medical supplies and devices to prepare for public health emergencies.

“To ensure Americans always have the essential medicines and other critical medical products we need, we must have more control over our supply chains,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “In addition to having the necessary data and insights for visibility into supply chain disruptions, we need to be better positioned to help our partners in the private sector mitigate supply chain disruptions.”