Pfizer has reported that it has restarted most of the production lines at its drug manufacturing plant in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, which was severely damaged by a tornado two months ago. However, the company warned that some medicines from the facility may be in short supply until at least mid-2024.
The Rocky Mount plant is a crucial supplier responsible for nearly 8% of all sterile injectable medicines used in U.S. hospitals, including anesthesia, analgesia, therapeutics, anti-infectives, and neuromuscular blockers. It also manufactures approximately 25% of Pfizer’s drugs in that category.
In August, Pfizer had warned hospitals about potential supply disruptions for some medicines due to the tornado damage.
Pfizer has now resumed production of about 13 medicines, prioritizing them based on patient needs and inventory levels. However, the company did not specify which drugs were among the first to be brought back into production.
The company is also monitoring emergency request orders for certain medicines manufactured at the Rocky Mount plant. An emergency ordering process was implemented in August to manage the distribution of 12 drugs considered to be in high medical need.
This development comes at a time when the United States is already grappling with a significant shortage of various medicines attributed to manufacturing quality control issues, surges in demand, and other factors. The pharmaceutical industry is working to address these challenges to ensure a stable supply of essential medications.
