Upstream Risks: How Global Trade Disruptions Could Impact Medication Supply

In this interview with Pharmacy Times, Michael Ganio, PharmD, MS, BCPS, FASHP, senior director of pharmacy practice and quality at ASHP, discusses how ongoing geopolitical conflict could influence the drug supply chain through direct impacts on regional manufacturing sites and longer-term disruptions to global trade routes. Although the US is not heavily reliant on pharmaceutical production in affected regions such as Jordan, Israel, and Turkey, interruptions to key shipping lanes, such as the Strait of Hormuz, could delay the movement of essential raw materials. These upstream disruptions may not cause immediate shortages but could lead to increased costs and supply challenges months later, particularly for generic medications sourced from India and China. Ganio emphasizes that predicting which specific drugs will be affected remains difficult due to the complexity of global supply chains.