Four-in-10 Patients Fear Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Issues Pose Risk of Illness, Death

New Zebra study shows the pharmaceutical industry has a trust problem, but industry leaders say they’re trying to become more transparent

Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, today released the findings of its Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Vision Study. It reveals patients’ distrust of the medications they are receiving and segments within the pharmaceutical supply chain, including the entities who manufacture, distribute, prescribe and dispense those drugs. Forty-three percent fear more illness and/or death could result from contaminated or tainted medications without supply chain improvements.

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New Zebra study shows the pharmaceutical industry has a trust problem, but industry leaders say they’re trying to become more transparent. (Photo: Business Wire)

Getting to the Source of Patients’ Fears – and Their Medications

Medication efficacy and safety are top of mind today with patients with three-in-four patients stating they are either somewhat or very concerned about the ineffectiveness of medication in helping with their condition or illness. And seven-in-10 are concerned about receiving:

- an improper dose due to labeling errors, and the harm it could potentially cause them.

- stolen, contaminated, tainted, expired, or counterfeit medicines.

- medications that were improperly handled/stored during transit and could have damage or diminished efficacy.

Patients know a compromised supply chain puts medication quality and efficacy at risk and want better assurances their medications are safe and authentic. Nine-in-10 say it is somewhat or very important they can verify a medication is not counterfeit nor tampered with and confirm temperature sensitive medications have stayed within the prescribed range.

According to the survey, patients also expect drug manufacturers to disclose how their medications are manufactured/handled (81%) and transported/stored (82%). Eighty percent say it’s also important to verify the sources of medication ingredients including the country of origin and local standards for the medication itself. In addition, 79% of those surveyed want to know the source of their medication is sustainable with confirmation the manufacturer is using techniques to protect the environment, animal welfare, human communities, and public health.

“These evolving patient demands will certainly be a wakeup call for pharmaceutical industry leaders who, for years, have been primarily focused on meeting regulatory standards,” said John Wirthlin, Industry Principal, Manufacturing, Transportation and Logistics, Zebra Technologies. “Manufacturers, government agencies, pharmacies and healthcare providers must work together to win consumers’ trust in the supply chain.”

The study shows that the pharmaceutical industry must work harder to prove they are putting patients’ needs first if they want to earn consumer confidence and loyalty on a grand scale.

Patients’ Call for Greater Transparency and Accountability

Over eight-in-10 patients agree government/regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies need to work better together to protect patients and ensure the medications they receive are safe and effective. And more than 40% of patients and pharmaceutical industry decision-makers say regulators, pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers are the ones most responsible for combating counterfeit, stolen and contaminated medications. Yet, the onus is being put on those who manufacture, dispense and administer medications to implement trustworthy safety protocols, with hospitals bearing the brunt of the responsibility in 57% of patients’ eyes.

“In a perfect world, potentially harmful drugs would never make it far enough downstream to be a concern for hospitals, pharmacies and other prescription-issuing entities,” Wirthlin added. “That’s why the Falsified Medicines Directive is now in full effect in the European Union, and the Food and Drug Administration is requiring product tracing systems to be in place by 2023 in the United States as part of the Drug Supply Chain Safety Act.”

The majority of pharmaceutical industry decision-makers (84%) feel they are prepared to comply with traceability and transparency mandates. Three-quarters confirm they have already deployed location services technology or plan to in the next year – a move which would improve production workflows and drug tracking, reduce shrink and tampering, and give patients the visibility and information they want.

The biggest challenge these leaders are facing is being able to make – and move – enough medications to meet patients’ needs. In addition to regulatory delays, industry decision-makers say they are also dealing with production limits, distribution and storage problems, shipping capacity constraints and transportation delays. Consequently, 92% plan to increase investments in pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply chain monitoring tools next year.

Problems at the Point of Sale – and Beyond

Over three-quarters of patients surveyed say they have experienced issues either purchasing or taking medication in the past, with millennials (82%) remarkably reporting more issues than Boomers (61%). Millennials don’t tolerate mistakes, though, and are twice as likely as Boomers to change pharmacies to find one that can meet their needs. And 70% of all patients confirmed they have either changed prescribing providers, pharmacies, or medications in the past due to a poor experience.

Among patients experiencing problems, a severe side effect was among the top five issues. But it was not the most prevalent:

1. Needed medication that was unavailable or out of stock (32%)
2. Received only a partial amount due to unavailability at the time (29%)
3. Found the same product at a lower price elsewhere (27%)
4. Did not receive on time or when needed (22%)
5. Experienced a severe side effect (21%)

A majority of patients’ lingering concerns center on medication affordability (76%) and shortages (73%). However, drug administrators are not off the hook for safety and efficacy. Eighty-five percent of patients say all pharmacies need to monitor the medications dispensed, including mail-order pharmacies.

Key Regional Findings

Asia Pacific (APAC)

- Over three-quarters of patients say more regulation of pharmaceuticals is needed, and nearly all (95%) decision-makers say better cooperation between government/regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical industry companies is needed to protect patients, the highest of any region.

Europe

- Only 64% of patients and 74% of industry decision-makers agree that direct-to-patient delivery of medications by mail is a convenient and consistently safe way to receive medications—the lowest agreement level among regions.

Latin America

- Latin American patients are the least tolerant of issues with their medications when compared to other regions, with 87% reporting a change in pharmacy, provider or medication due to a poor experience.

North America

- Patients in North America are the least knowledgeable about pharmaceutical traceability, with only 33% saying they are somewhat or very familiar with the concept.

SURVEY BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

Zebra’s Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Vision Study was conducted among a global audience of over 3,500 patients and pharmaceutical industry decision-makers to evaluate perceived supply chain stability, gauge supply chain responsibility and trust in its entities, and identify needs for improving supply chain visibility and transparency. Patients are adults with medical health issues requiring prescription medication or treatment that was filled at a pharmacy. Pharmaceutical industry decision-makers are executive-level leaders in healthcare, manufacturing, pharmacy retail, or transportation and logistics organizations who maintain operations in the pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical supply chain. All data was collected and tabulated by third-party research firm Azure Knowledge Corporation.

ABOUT ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES

Zebra (NASDAQ: ZBRA) empowers organizations to thrive in the on-demand economy by making every front-line worker and asset at the edge visible, connected and fully optimized. With an ecosystem of more than 10,000 partners across more than 100 countries, Zebra serves customers of all sizes – including 94% of the Fortune 100 – with an award-winning portfolio of hardware, software, services and solutions that digitize and automate workflows. Supply chains are more dynamic, customers and patients are better served, and workers are more engaged when they utilize Zebra innovations that help them sense, analyze and act in real time. In 2021, Zebra expanded its industrial automation portfolio with its Fetch Robotics acquisition and increased its machine vision and AI software capabilities with the acquisitions of Adaptive Vision and antuit.ai. Zebra is #25 on Newsweek’s inaugural list of America’s Most Loved Workplaces and on Forbes’ list of America’s best employers for the fifth year. Learn more at www.zebra.com or sign up for news alerts. Follow Zebra’s Your Edge blog, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, and check out our Story Hub: Zebra Perspectives.

ZEBRA and the stylized Zebra head are trademarks of Zebra Technologies Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2021 Zebra Technologies Corp. and/or its affiliates.

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