Philadelphia –
Ensuring the security of the military pharmaceutical supply chain, Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support pharmacists came to a rare interagency data sharing agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This agreement, meant to increase warfighter readiness, produced the latest dataset on 28 June.
A recommendation from the Inspector General prompted DLA and FDA to create a unique data-sharing agreement. This initiative was designed to address drug supply chain risks by developing new management rules and fostering partnerships amongst agencies.
“We co-chair the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Risk Working Group alongside the Defense Health Agency,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Josh Stallings, CPOC chief, “to mitigate military drug supply chain risks, the group works in coordination with DLA and other federal partners to ensure consistent access to pharmaceuticals for the warfighter.”
This specific partnership with the FDA helps to further illuminate supply chain transparency issues surrounding these important pharmaceuticals by sharing industry information to better secure the military prescription drug supply chain.
“This data further informs our analysis of prescription drugs as the as they move through the supply chain,” said CPOC Pharmacist Navy Lt. Cmdr. Sean Szad.
However, this data gives the most precise information available to optimize warfighter readiness, said Szad.
“Our initial requests to the FDA mainly centered around countries of concern that could impact the availability of these drugs in some type of contingency.” Szad said.
Other data included in the agreement will help map the supply chain for DLA Troop Support’s monthly pharmaceutical orders and cross-reference them with the country of origin for each of drug, Szad continued.
“We are deeply interested in knowing where these drugs come from,” Stallings said, “because of their importance to the warfighter. In a contingency, we need to make sure to maintain reliable procurement.”
“We are huge fans of the FDA,” Stallings said. “They're a big fan of what we do, I think, because we develop these types of relationships. This interagency data sharing agreement is a big win for us here at Troop Support and for the warfighter we work for! I mean, it's a big win in huge way."