North Cook News

Congressmen Brett Guthrie and Buddy Carter have announced a hearing focused on strengthening domestic manufacturing and the health care supply chain. The event, titled "Made in America: Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing and the Health Care Supply Chain," will take place on June 11, 2025, at 10:00 AM ET in the Rayburn House Office Building.

"We have long been champions of policies that support efforts to onshore U.S.-based manufacturing and bolster our domestic supply chain, while, at the same time, strengthening our national security interests and economic goals," said Chairmen Guthrie and Carter. They emphasized the importance of reducing America's reliance on other nations for essential medications and health care products.

The hearing is organized by the Subcommittee on Health and aims to examine current challenges and opportunities to incentivize a reliable, safe, resilient, and efficient health care supply chain. It will be open to the public and press, with a livestream available online.

Josh Bolin's testimony will highlight key achievements in drug supply chain security. The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) now allows tracking of prescription drugs through serialized barcodes. A digital platform called Pulse by NABP was launched to facilitate DSCSA compliance. It has already identified counterfeit medications in Arkansas and Mississippi.

Emerging threats include illegal online pharmacies that violate laws by selling unapproved or counterfeit medications. Additionally, some med spas operate illegally by compounding drugs in non-sterile environments using unapproved ingredients sourced internationally.

Challenges include a decentralized supply chain requiring analysis of billions of transactions annually to detect illicit products. Regulatory gaps exist as many state boards lack authority over rogue med spas or online sellers.

Bolin calls for strengthened enforcement against illegal online pharmacies and unregulated compounding. He advocates expanding state regulatory authority over med spas and supporting tools like Pulse by NABP to enhance DSCSA’s effectiveness.

In conclusion, Bolin stresses vigilance against supply chain threats while leveraging DSCSA’s framework to protect patients.

Information from this article can be found here.