{"id":26188,"date":"2017-11-15T21:58:32","date_gmt":"2017-11-16T02:58:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/a-perfect-storm-when-hurricanes-hit-the-medicine-supply\/"},"modified":"2017-11-15T21:58:32","modified_gmt":"2017-11-16T02:58:32","slug":"a-perfect-storm-when-hurricanes-hit-the-medicine-supply","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/a-perfect-storm-when-hurricanes-hit-the-medicine-supply\/","title":{"rendered":"A Perfect Storm: When Hurricanes Hit the Medicine Supply"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hurricane Maria: a pharmaceutical crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n

On September 20th<\/sup>, Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico. The storm decimated Puerto Rico\u2019s infrastructure, causing billions of dollars in damage and knocking out the power supply for months.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

While Maria was singularly devastating in the Caribbean, its ripples extend far beyond the Atlantic. Puerto Rico is home to 25% of the United States\u2019 pharmaceutical exports, due in part to a tax subsidy that ended in 2006.[2]<\/a>[3]<\/a><\/sup> Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fears that 30 drugs and 10 biological devices, which are produced primarily or exclusively in Puerto Rico, could see national shortages as the island struggles to restart its economy.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

Pharmaceutical manufacturers in Puerto Rico now risk running out of essential supplies, including the generator fuel powering their factories and refrigerators. More critically, they are still struggling to locate employees, who are grappling with catastrophic personal losses from the hurricane.[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

Could Maria be a sign of even worse to come? Climate science gives reason to worry. On the one hand, scientists are uncertain whether climate change will cause the total number <\/em>of hurricanes to rise or fall. However, warmer oceanwaters and higher sea levels increase the destructive power of hurricanes that do occur. This means storms with greater rainfall, larger sea surges, longer lifespans, and higher likelihood of making landfall.[6]<\/a> The supply of essential medicines could increasingly be at risk.<\/p>\n

The FDA responds<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fearing immediate shortages of critical medical supplies, the FDA is racing to stem the bleeding. It has launched a task force to oversee storm-related supply gaps and deployed teams to monitor each of the 40 at-risk products.[7]<\/a>[8]<\/a> The agency is coordinating with companies and government authorities to facilitate distribution of fuel, medical-grade gases, and other critical supplies. It is also playing a coordination and advisory role to address logistical and transport challenges facing the affected companies.<\/p>\n

In the medium term, the FDA is working with federal and local governments to ensure that critical plants, which are the primary producers of at-risk medical products, are prioritized as Puerto Rico rebuilds its power grid.[9]<\/a> The FDA is also providing companies expertise as they plan for similar critical risks in the future.[10]<\/a><\/p>\n

Planning for the risks<\/strong><\/p>\n

Moving forward, the FDA should revamp its contingency plans to account for the growing hazard of extreme weather events. The dangers include not only fiercer hurricanes but also more severe droughts, flooding, and rainfall, which could impact producers up and down the supply chain.<\/p>\n

The FDA should start by conducting a thorough climate-risk analysis across the value chain. Where else are operations concentrated in geographies vulnerable to climate change? This analysis should span not only the production of final goods but also the supply and warehousing of intermediate components.<\/p>\n

For products manufactured in high-risk geographies, the FDA can bolster resilience by enhancing emergency readiness, raising inventory stockpiles, and promoting geographic diversification.<\/p>\n