Supply Chain

Between the struggles of COVID-19 and the constant supply challenges, the past two years have been exhausting for healthcare workers.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled around 377,000 portable bed rails from Middleburg Heights, Ohio-based Compass Health and Orlando, Fla.-based Essential Medical Supply in two separate Dec. 22 announcements.

Five regional infusion centers in Texas have run out of sotrovimab, the only COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment that appears to be effective against the omicron variant, the Department of Health and Human Services said Dec. 27.

Amazon is limiting sales of its at-home COVID-19 PCR test kit to 10 units per shopper due to supply shortages, CNBC reported Dec. 22.

As the U.S. struggles to keep up with COVID-19 testing demands, Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he expects test supply levels to improve in January, according to ABC News. 

Medline said Dec. 21 it plans to open a $70 million distribution center in Richmond Hills, Ga. 

Ten health systems have posted job listings for supply chain expertise in the last week:

Two of the three monoclonal antibody treatments used to prevent COVID-19 patients from becoming severely sick don't appear to be effective against the omicron coronavirus variant, The New York Times reported Dec. 21. 

Procter & Gamble on Dec. 17 recalled more than 30 aerosol spray hair care products, including many dry shampoos and dry conditioners, because of the detection of benzene, a cancer-causing agent, in some products.

The global supply chain has become more of a focus for executives as issues persist throughout the pandemic, McKinsey and Co. operation partners Knut Alicke and Dan Swan said on the Dec. 14 episode of "The McKinsey Podcast."