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The Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA) has released a statement on the inclusion of the PREVENT Pandemics Act (Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act) as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act.
HDA President and CEO Chester “Chip” Davis, Jr., commented on the legislation, which came as the result of more than a year of bipartisan work and valuable feedback from many stakeholders, including HDA, to integrate lessons learned during the nation’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“HDA and our healthcare distributor members proudly support the PREVENT Pandemics Act as a path toward a more coordinated national response to public health emergencies. After nearly three years of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no better time to address public health preparedness to pandemics and other natural disasters. We thank the Senate HELP Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-N.C.) for championing this critically important legislation and advocating tirelessly for its inclusion in this package.
“Specifically, our organization is pleased that the bill includes provisions to strengthen public-private partnerships, while bolstering the capabilities of the Strategic National Stockpile and the distribution infrastructure for critical medicines and supplies. HDA has highlighted the need for these policies and incorporated them as part of our own ‘Guiding Principles for Increasing Supply Chain Resilience.’
“Every day, HDA healthcare distributors, as the vital link™ in healthcare, work behind the scenes to fulfill 94% of the market for pharmaceuticals, delivering more than 11 million medicines, vaccines, and healthcare products to nearly 330,000 pharmacies and providers. Our members provide the logistics expertise, inventory management, and technology required to keep pharmacy and hospital shelves stocked with the medicines that patients need—and HDA believes our industry’s expertise and capabilities can play a key role in enhancing supply chain resilience.”
