USP, Angels for Change, and Vizient Collaborate to Improve Supply Chain for Pediatric Drugs

The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) announced on May 13, 2021 that it has collaborated with Angels for Change, a non-profit patient advocacy group, and Vizient, a group purchasing organization, to develop a predictive model for improving the supply chain of 17 pediatric oncology drugs, 13 of which have experienced shortages in the past three years. Expertise and data were brought together to produce insights to prevent and/or mitigate supply chain interruptions on providers and patients and create the Drug Supply Resiliency Model.

The three organizations worked together to collect data on pediatric oncology drug shortages. Angels for Change, in consultation with clinical experts, identified 17 drugs for the pilot project. USP, which developed the model, contributed upstream supply chain data by leveraging insights from more than 22,000 locations that use USP standards. USP also used its Medicine Supply Map to analyze the 17 identified drugs. Vizient, which identifies medications that may be impacted by supply chain disruptions, provided downstream demand data.

“Pediatric oncology drugs have long been at high risk of shortage, and this has impacted hospital costs and led to adverse patient outcomes. The Drug Supply Resiliency Model, which builds on the Pediatric Drug Shortage Project implemented by CHA and Vizient, helps us quantify the root causes and further identify solutions as we work to eliminate pediatric drug shortages,” said Terri Wilson, Director, Supply Chain Services–Pharmacy at Children’s Hospital Association and an advisor on the project, in a press release.

“Understanding upstream supply chain risk is important for governments, GPOs and manufacturers to prioritize investments in improving the resiliency of the supply chain. Data on the medicine supply chain is fragmented, but private sector collaborations such as this can bring together a more complete picture and help governments, GPOs, manufacturers and other stakeholders work together to improve the resiliency of the supply chain and prevent patients from experiencing drug shortages,” said Stephen Schondelmeyer, co-Principal Investigator of the Resilient Drug Supply Project at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy (CIDRAP) and advisor on the project, in the press release.

Source: USP