October 7, 2022 – COVID-19 and attendant supply chain difficulties have shaken up healthcare providers, manufacturers and distributors. Trust in overseas sourcing, domestic trucking and railroad carriers, and low-unit-of-measure systems has eroded. Certainty that Product A would arrive at Point B in a timely manner and in good shape was replaced with uncertainty.
Providers, suppliers and manufacturers are wondering if they can regain some certainty by increasingly turning to U.S.-based suppliers or whether they should hedge their bets by diversifying even further among global ones.
“During times of disruption, healthcare organizations must prioritize certainty of supply,” says Cristina Indiveri, associate vice president, strategic programs and contract services, Vizient. “They want the confidence to know they have access to essential medical supplies, back-up manufacturing sources and diversified product availability. Organizations are requesting complementary relationships with secondary domestic suppliers to ensure product and product category stability. The objective is balance.”