With 2020 underway, HDA’s John M. Gray provided perspective on the vital role of pharmaceutical distributors and the Alliance’s policy priorities as part of Chain Drug Review’s annual “Pharmacy Outlook” feature.

Distributors sit at the heart of the pharmaceutical supply chain, connecting 180,000 healthcare providers and pharmacies with 1,300 drug manufacturers. Through their partnerships across the industry, pharmaceutical distributors provide the more than 180 million patients who regularly take prescription medicines with safe, quick and low-cost access to more than 4 billion prescription medicines each year.

The U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain is responsible for providing patients safe, secure and timely access to more than 4 billion prescription medicines every year. Sustaining this complex supply chain requires the collaboration between a diverse group of partners, including manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies as well as other healthcare facilities and providers.

October is American Pharmacists Month, which provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate how pharmacists support patients’ health and wellness in communities across the country.

It is no secret that the U.S. healthcare system is complex. Connecting hundreds of thousands of healthcare providers with the medicines and healthcare products that patients rely on every day — both safely and efficiently — requires coordination between a diverse set of stakeholders.