A recent article in The i Paper raised an uncomfortable but necessary question for the UK and other Western nations: What happens if critical pharmaceutical supplies from China are suddenly cut off?
With China producing around 80% of the chemicals used to manufacture vital medicines like antibiotics, the UK’s reliance on a single source of supply is being described by some experts as a national vulnerability. As Dr Darren Mann, a surgeon and senior advisor at Achilles, noted in the article:
“There was a complete collapse of PPE supply at the time when demand was highest. Imagine if that were penicillin.”
Dr Mann’s warning is not hypothetical. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led efforts to secure personal protective equipment for the NHS. The lessons learned during that period point to the urgent need for better preparation, starting with clearer visibility across supply chains.
At Achilles, we help organisations understand their exposure to risk by mapping supplier networks and monitoring critical inputs across categories and geographies. In healthcare, that means helping procurement leaders answer essential questions:
- Where are our medicines really coming from?
- How diversified are our suppliers?
- What’s our plan if a primary source becomes unavailable?
The complexity of pharmaceutical manufacturing means a single tablet can depend on inputs from five or six different countries. Without the right systems in place, even the most essential medicines can be at risk of disruption.
Achilles works with healthcare providers and suppliers to improve supply chain resilience by providing clearer data, better visibility, and practical tools for risk management. As global supply routes face increasing pressure, having a clear view of where vulnerabilities lie is becoming increasingly important to protecting patient care and keeping vital medicines flowing.
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