Skip to main content

Major Drug Shortages Not Likely After Tornado Damages Pfizer Plant, FDA says

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, July 24, 2023 -- Tornado damage to a Pfizer drug-making plant in North Carolina is unlikely to trigger drug shortages across the country, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.

"We do not expect there to be any immediate significant impacts on supply, given the products are currently at hospitals and in the distribution system," FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in an agency news release posted Friday.

"Our initial analysis has identified less than 10 drugs for which Pfizer’s North Carolina plant is the sole source for the U.S. market, however, a number of these are specific formulations for which there should be substitutes or for which many weeks’ worth of stock should be available in Pfizer’s other warehouses," Califf explained.

"Notably, while Pfizer has one third of the total sterile injectable drug market for hospitals in the U.S., this facility only makes 25% of Pfizer’s total product for this market – not the entire market," Califf added. "This means 8% of U.S. consumption is supplied by this site."

Meanwhile, Pfizer officials said the company is working to repair the damage and mitigate any shortage of drugs made at the facility.

"Clearly nature is strong. So, too, is ingenuity and the human spirit. A great deal of work needs to be done, but I assure everyone, most importantly the people of the Rocky Mount community, that we will put Pfizer's full power behind this effort," Pfizer Chairman and CEO Dr. Albert Bourla, said in a company statement. "We will work in lockstep with our partners and local authorities to restore and rebuild the site and the community."

The FDA said it cannot release any information about the specific drugs made or stored at the plant because of disclosure laws.

The Pfizer plant is closed as the damage is assessed. Most of the damage was caused to the warehouse, which stores raw materials, packaging supplies and finished medicines, the company said. Pfizer is exploring alternative manufacturing locations, and there does not appear to be any major damage to the medicine production areas, the company added.

Sources

  • Pfizer Inc., news release, July 21, 2023
  • U.S. Food and Drug Administration, news release, July 21, 2023

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted July 2023

Read this next

1 in 8 Older Americans Are Stricken With Traumatic Head Injury

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- About one in eight U.S. seniors will be treated for a traumatic brain injury, typically during a fall, a new study finds. Medicare data shows that about...

Could Tough Workouts Trigger a Hot Flash?

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- While going through menopause, many women who gain weight head to the gym for intense workouts, but new research suggests that too much exercise may help...

U.S. Deaths Linked to ATVs Rose by a Third in One Year

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- In just one year, U.S. deaths linked to the use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) jumped by a third, according to the latest report from the Consumer Product...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.