“The latest episode of 60 Minutes perpetuates a number of myths around the opioid epidemic and does a disservice to any effort to truly understand and address its root causes — notably, the shift in medical practice to treat pain more aggressively and the role of illegal drugs in most overdose deaths.
“While HDA cannot speak to the specifics of the litigation, it defies common sense to single out distributors for the opioid crisis. As logistics experts, distributors do not manufacture, promote or prescribe opioids, influence clinical decision-making or in any way drive demand for the product. Distributors deliver medicines prescribed by a licensed physician and ordered by a licensed pharmacy.
The HDA Research Foundation released the 89th Edition HDA Factbook: The Facts, Figures and Trends in Healthcare (2018–2019), featuring updated data trends on the pharmaceutical distribution industry. According to the latest findings, chain drug stores remained the largest customer segment for distributors in 2017, representing 42.6 percent of all sales — a 10.2 percent increase from the previous year. Correspondingly, the total number of sales that went through primary pharmaceutical distributors in 2017 is estimated at 92 percent (or $461 billion).
Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA) President and CEO John M. Gray issued a statement in response to the enactment of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act.
The HDA Research Foundation is seeking to support the next generation of supply chain leaders through a new scholarship program. Created in conjunction with HDA’s professional development program, Convene, the HDA Research Foundation Scholarship is available biannually to graduate-level students currently working within HDA-member distributor and manufacturer companies.
