In a statement for the record for the Senate Finance Committee hearing on protecting the reliability of the U.S. medical supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic, Premier underscores how the existing private sector supply chain can be further enabled and augmented to prevent gaps in vital medical supplies to address future pandemics, states a Premier Inc. press release.
To help strengthen and maintain the integrity of the supply chain during this and future pandemics, Premier recommends the creation of a centralized clearing house to vet gray market offers and test products to ensure integrity. Creating incentives for domestic manufacturing and revamping the Strategic National Stockpile through a public-private partnership is also urgently needed to ensure a steady supply of vital drugs and medical supplies are available for patient care.
Finally, Premier calls for real-time syndromic surveillance to provide an upstream alternative to identifying cases before tests can detect them or patients are hospitalized. These are common-sense, market-based, holistic, and sustainable solutions that Congress can enact.
