America's fragile drug supply chain is extremely vulnerable to climate change

"Using data from the Food and Drug Administration, the researchers identified 10,861 drug facilities that were active for at least one year between 2019 and 2024. These facilities represent the array of manufacturing stages of a drug, from analyzing raw drug materials, manufacturing active ingredients, to packaging drug products. The researchers then looked at the county location of each of these facilities and whether any federally declared weather emergencies occurred in those counties during the period."

"During the six-year span, 6,819 facilities (63 percent) faced at least one weather-related emergency. Per year, an average of 2,146 facilities (33 percent) experienced such an emergency. The researchers noted that there was no statistically significant difference in the likelihood that counties with or without a drug facility would experience a weather-related emergency. That is, it's not the case that drug facilities have been built in areas uniquely vulnerable to climate-related disasters."

Data from the Food and Drug Administration identified 10,861 drug facilities active at least one year between 2019 and 2024, spanning raw material analysis, active ingredient manufacturing, and product packaging. During the six-year period, 6,819 facilities (63 percent) faced at least one federally declared weather emergency; annually an average of 2,146 facilities (33 percent) experienced such events. Counties with drug facilities showed no higher likelihood of weather-related emergencies than counties without them. Concentrated production and single-plant dependencies increase the risk of healthcare disruptions. Supply chain transparency, strategic production allocation, and disaster risk management are urgently needed.

Read at Ars Technica