Survey: Healthcare leaders confront dual supply chain challenge

Healthcare organizations are grappling with a dual challenge in 2026 as persistent supply chain disruptions collide with mounting pressure to reduce costs, according to the 2026 State of Healthcare Supply Chain Survey from symplr.

What were once considered temporary disruptions are now viewed as ongoing realities. More than half (53%) of healthcare supply chain leaders expect conditions to worsen this year, a significant increase from the prior year. At the same time, health systems face rising financial pressure to improve margins, making cost savings both more critical and harder to achieve.

The survey also highlights ongoing gaps between supply chain and clinical teams. Only 32% of respondents report full clinical integration, and just 3% strongly agree that clinicians actively support supply chain initiatives. This lack of alignment continues to hinder product standardization, utilization management, and evidence-based decision-making.

In response, organizations are moving beyond price-only strategies toward broader approaches that include product and process standardization, stronger GPO and supplier partnerships, utilization management, and closer collaboration with clinicians. Savings targets continue to rise despite inflation, material shortages, and tariff pressures.

“During the pandemic, supply chain and clinical teams worked closely out of necessity, and that collaboration made a real difference,” said Dee Donatelli, vice president of spend management at symplr, in a statement. “As operations normalize, that discipline is slipping. Success in 2026 won’t come from adding more tools or complexity. It will come from returning to the basics.”

Those fundamentals, she said, include strong clinical partnerships, evidence-based decisions, consistent processes, and a disciplined focus on utilization.