In and Beyond COVID-19: US Academic Pharmaceutical Science and Engineering Community Must Engage to Meet Critical National Needs

Abstract

The supply of affordable, high-quality pharmaceuticals to US patients has been on a critical path for decades. In and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, this critical path has become tortuous. To regain reliability, reshoring of the pharmaceutical supply chain to the USA is now a vital national security need. Reshoring the pharmaceutical supply with old know-how and outdated technologies that cause inherent unpredictability and adverse environmental impact will neither provide the security we seek nor will it be competitive and affordable. The challenge at hand is complex akin to redesigning systems, including corporate and public research and development, manufacturing, regulatory, and education ones. The US academic community must be engaged in progressing solutions needed to counter emergencies in the COVID-19 pandemic and in building new methods to reshore the pharmaceutical supply chain beyond the pandemic.

Back-shoring vs near-shoring: a comparative exploratory study in the footwear industry

“… International Journal of Business and Globalisation 2020 Grappi, S., Romani, S., Bagozzi, R.P. Management International Review 2020 Gurvich, V.J., Hussain, A.S. AAPS PharmaSciTech 2020 Gutiérrez, Ó. Journal of Operational Research Society 2020 Jung, S.H.…”

Impacts of COVID-19 on a Transitioning Energy System, Society, and International Cooperation

“…Cognizant of the need for critical drugs in the treatment of COVID-19 and the strain being imparted on global supply chains, the USA is seeking to address their national vulnerabilities through the reshoring of essential parts of the pharmaceutical supply chain to reduce reliance on foreign-sourced pharmaceuticals [39]. In addition to supply chain concerns surrounding PPE and pharmaceuticals, the United Kingdom (UK) and the USA are seeking to address shortages in qualified medical professionals through aggressive recruiting of foreign candidates, predominantly from low-and middle-income nations, through fast track entry and reduced visa fees.…”

Pharmaceutical Quality, Team Science, and Education Themes: Observations and Commentary on a Remarkable AAPS PharmSciTech Theme Issue

“…The AAPS PharmSciTech Theme Issue entitled "Team Science and Education for Pharmaceuticals -the NIPTE Model" curates nineteen papers (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19) listed in Table I and written before and amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Another manuscript, currently in the editorial process, is expected to be the final paper in the Theme Issue.…”

“…It will review the evolution of the NIPTE education certificate program over the past three years and describes a shift from a didactic, lecture-based curriculum to a more interactive, flipped, casebased program developed through backward design. Of the nineteen papers we discuss here, one is focused on assessing the impact of NIPTE (1), and two describe contemporary challenges confronting the sector and were contributed by us, the editors of Theme Issue (12,18). Sixteen papers describe research methodology and outcomes for questions posed in a request for proposals by the US FDA (identified by shaded rows in Table I).…”