Medicines shortages configurations: understanding pharmaceutical supply chains interdependencies, vulnerabilities, and anticipatory strategies

In 2023, all European Commission countries reported medicine shortages, recognised globally as a systemic problem affecting patients, healthcare systems, markets, public health, and the environment. International bodies highlight insufficient research on the interdependent causes of these shortages.

The MEDSHORT project addresses this gap by responding to EU and FDA calls to understand supply chain dynamics beyond national and product-specific approaches. MEDSHORT explores different layers of the problem through a multi-site, multi-level study using mixed methodologies.

Based on comparative insights from California (United States) and Catalonia (Spain), MEDSHORT examines both contexts and their strategies for managing shortages.

By analysing how drug agencies mobilise knowledge about medicines shortages and the experiences of various supply chain actors and experts in both countries, the project aims to identify vulnerabilities and everyday frictions within the pharmaceutical supply chain.

The project investigates how political priorities shape responses to these challenges, focusing on anticipatory strategies.

This research sheds light on underexplored areas in the anthropology of pharmaceuticals, science and technology studies, and the social study of logistics, including the role of pharmacies, manufacturers, distributors, and the broader social implications of supply chain configurations.

Ultimately, MEDSHORT seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the social dimensions of drug shortages, inform EU policy on mitigating inequalities in medicine access, and contribute to building more robust and equitable pharmaceutical supply chains.