Where can I get good ongoing info about pharma manufacturing statuses?
September 14, 2023 8:34 AM Subscribe
Is there somewhere, preferably online and not requiring medical credentials to view, where I can follow the current state of pharma manufacturing and availability forecast for specific meds, in particular veterinary?
Ever since Brexit plus pandemic it has been difficult to get the gold standard vaccine for sheep, Heptavac P Plus, especially in smaller sizes and at reliable/predictable times. I ask my vet and my local farm coop what they've heard from their suppliers, but what their suppliers tell them isn't usually all that reliable. And I check to see what other farmers have heard from doing the same but it's really like holding a finger up to feel the wind at best, and it's taxing on my limited social energy. Is there some industry forum or market report that would have more direct info that I could seek out? I'm looking for info like "drug x in size y in limited supply due to shortage of component z, new availability expected in month A" so I can plan to jump when it becomes available and get next spring's vials in my fridge.
Ever since Brexit plus pandemic it has been difficult to get the gold standard vaccine for sheep, Heptavac P Plus, especially in smaller sizes and at reliable/predictable times. I ask my vet and my local farm coop what they've heard from their suppliers, but what their suppliers tell them isn't usually all that reliable. And I check to see what other farmers have heard from doing the same but it's really like holding a finger up to feel the wind at best, and it's taxing on my limited social energy. Is there some industry forum or market report that would have more direct info that I could seek out? I'm looking for info like "drug x in size y in limited supply due to shortage of component z, new availability expected in month A" so I can plan to jump when it becomes available and get next spring's vials in my fridge.
Best answer: From your profile I see you're in Wales, Rhedyn - unfortunately I don't think the exact resource you're looking for is likely to be available, specifically something with that important restock date information.
This is based on my experience working in pharma supply chain in England, Wales, and Scotland. My job is to negotiate and manage agreements that rely on manufacturers being able to supply product to wholesalers and pharmacy groups. Organisations do exist that will tell you what is out of stock or restricted in wholesale etc, they're quite easily found by web search. Unfortunately I am not aware of any that give indications of when a supply problem is likely to be resolved, because many pharma companies don't give this information out freely.
In my experience even being able to deal directly with the relevant people at the manufacturer often does not help much. Even staff who control the movement of stock within the UK arms of these companies often don't know for sure when new stock will arrive, and the info they do have is often not reliable, so restock dates slip often.
I could be mistaken, as animal medicine supply is different, obviously, but based on how info on human medicine shortages is usually handled here, I think a general resource on veterinary shortages with reliable restock dates is unlikely to exist, sorry.
In the case of your specific vaccine needs, it looks like Heptavac P Plus is made by a division of MSD, and whilst I can't see any published info on stock of animal medication, they do actually provide fairly detailed UK info on human medication supplies, with restock dates. They might therefore be amenable to a direct request on the animal side, so I would suggest contacting their customer service team. They may be able to give you some information on possible restock dates to work towards, although as above this info isn't guaranteed to be reliable.
You have my full sympathy over this problem, it is incredibly frustrating, and you're correct in observing that it has got worse in the past few years. I do hope you get the supplies you need in time for spring, good luck!
posted by tomsk at 3:48 PM on September 14, 2023 [2 favorites]
This is based on my experience working in pharma supply chain in England, Wales, and Scotland. My job is to negotiate and manage agreements that rely on manufacturers being able to supply product to wholesalers and pharmacy groups. Organisations do exist that will tell you what is out of stock or restricted in wholesale etc, they're quite easily found by web search. Unfortunately I am not aware of any that give indications of when a supply problem is likely to be resolved, because many pharma companies don't give this information out freely.
In my experience even being able to deal directly with the relevant people at the manufacturer often does not help much. Even staff who control the movement of stock within the UK arms of these companies often don't know for sure when new stock will arrive, and the info they do have is often not reliable, so restock dates slip often.
I could be mistaken, as animal medicine supply is different, obviously, but based on how info on human medicine shortages is usually handled here, I think a general resource on veterinary shortages with reliable restock dates is unlikely to exist, sorry.
In the case of your specific vaccine needs, it looks like Heptavac P Plus is made by a division of MSD, and whilst I can't see any published info on stock of animal medication, they do actually provide fairly detailed UK info on human medication supplies, with restock dates. They might therefore be amenable to a direct request on the animal side, so I would suggest contacting their customer service team. They may be able to give you some information on possible restock dates to work towards, although as above this info isn't guaranteed to be reliable.
You have my full sympathy over this problem, it is incredibly frustrating, and you're correct in observing that it has got worse in the past few years. I do hope you get the supplies you need in time for spring, good luck!
posted by tomsk at 3:48 PM on September 14, 2023 [2 favorites]
« Older Where are all the coworking places? | Minimizing eye and physical fatigue from long... Newer »
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
FDA Drug Shortages
posted by codex99 at 2:19 PM on September 14, 2023 [1 favorite]