The Lasting Impact Of COVID-19 On Emerging Life Sciences Supply Chain

By Bill Connell & Dave Stowe

The COVID pandemic brought disruption to pharmaceutical and life sciences supply chains, and despite the best efforts and preparation the industry is known for, the fallout continues to reverberate.

Although the COVID pandemic was unprecedented, the disruptions it caused are not, as this pandemic merely exposed supply chain weaknesses already there. For example, something as simple as glass vials and packaging materials saw a big spike in global demand as the COVID-19 vaccine impacted downstream supply markets. In the wake of the pandemic, life sciences companies are just now beginning to understand that they were not as prepared for major disruptions as they thought, and that this lack of preparation can adversely impact business performance.