The primary goal of Rx Response is to help make sure that medicines are available to patients who need them in times of a severe public health emergency. An effective supply chain is central to that mission. The illustration below depicts how biopharmaceuticals make their way from the manufacturers to your medicine cabinet during periods of normal operations.

During a severe public health emergency, the biopharmaceutical supply system may suffer disruptions. When these interruptions occur, Rx Response works to facilitate communication among manufacturers, distributors, hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, as well as any responding government organizations or other partners.

Manufacturers

Manufacturers produce prescription drugs and are the first link in the biopharmaceutical supply system. Manufacturers of brand-name, generic, and biotech drugs make up the biopharmaceutical manufacturing sector.

Distributors/Wholesalers

Distributors move the biopharmaceuticals they purchase from manufacturers to various customers, including hospitals, pharmacies and other institutions where medications are given to individuals, such as nursing homes, private physicians’ offices, and clinics. The distribution network is made up of two components: warehouses that stock the biopharmaceuticals at various distribution centers around the country and the trucks that transport the stock where and when it is needed.

Hospitals/Clinics/Pharmacies (Dispensers)

Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies represent the last leg on the journey from the biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant to your medicine cabinet. Local pharmacies keep a small amount of the drugs they are likely to need on hand to meet immediate demand. Most local pharmacies, for example, will have a certain amount of pain medication, antibiotics, and biopharmaceuticals for specific conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or asthma. When the local supplies begin to run low, a pharmacy will put in an order to the distributor/wholesaler (or, occasionally, directly to the manufacturer) for more of a specific medication.

There are multiple routes and checkpoints as medications move through the supply system to a patient's medicine cabinet. This begins with the sourcing of raw materials to suppliers and involves many components such as manufacturers, shippers, distributors, community or chain pharmacies, and prescribers. During a severe public health emergency, potential disruptions can occur at any point along this chain, as depicted in the diagram below.