How Coronavirus Is Affecting The U.S. Pharmaceutical Supply
In China, drug manufacturers are getting back to work. But supply chain disruptions could still lead to drug shortages down the road.
The coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China, is causing businesses, health officials and patients to worry about potential shortages of prescription drugs.
That's because the vast majority of active ingredients in medicines dispensed in the U.S. are made in factories overseas, many in China.
NPR has exclusive reporting on how disruptions in China are affecting some drugmakers' ability to make key ingredients. On March 3, we emailed facilities registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ask what products they manufacture, how the outbreak was affecting their work and how they were coping.
Since then, nine companies with operations in China spoke directly to NPR. The facilities make a wide range
