More than half of pharmaceuticals in the United States have a dependency on manufacturers not compliant to the Trade Agreements Act, which the Department of Defense defines as high- and very high-risk medications.
Twenty-seven percent of NDCs are sourced from high risk areas, or non-TAA compliant suppliers, and 27% are from very high-risk sources, or complete dependence on manufacturers in China and unknown countries.
The Department of Defense said a fourth of NDCs are most secure because multiple domestic manufacturers produce the active pharmaceutical ingredients, and 21% are moderately secure or moderately at risk. The military's report equates to about 10% of the total U.S. marketplace.
Here's what the Department of Defense found:
- 25% of APIs for medications, or 3,272 NDCs, are sourced in the U.S.
- 3%, or 345 NDCs, are sourced in Canada and Mexico
- 18%, or 2,373 NDCs, are sourced from TAA-compliant countries outside North America
- 26%, or 3,349 NDCs, are sourced from India
- 5%, or 650 NDCs, are sourced from China, a non-TAA compliant country
- 1%, or 180 NDCs, are sourced from non-TAA compliant countries, including Brazil, Jordan, Malaysia and Thailand
- 22%, or 2,820 NDCs, are sourced from unknown countries