HDA and its primary pharmaceutical distributor members — a critical link between 1,400 manufacturers and more than 180,000 healthcare providers — are continuing to rise to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.

HDA is now leading industry efforts to implement the 2013 Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) that replaced a 50-state patchwork of pedigree requirements with one federal solution to trace prescription medications through the supply chain.

HDA opposes permitting the importation into the U.S. of pharmaceuticals sold or designated for sale in foreign countries. HDA firmly believes that allowing importation increases the likelihood of counterfeit or adulterated drugs entering the United States and will not ensure meaningful reductions in the cost of prescription drugs.

HDA and our primary pharmaceutical distributor members are committed to bringing industry and government together to tackle our nation’s complex prescription drug abuse and diversion epidemic, a serious healthcare challenge that threatens both patient safety and the security of the healthcare supply chain.

HDA opposes repeal of the Last in, First Out (LIFO) accounting method and establishment of gross receipts taxes. Healthcare distribution represents a high-volume, low-profit margin business that is impacted disproportionately under certain tax proposals, including repeal of LIFO and instituting gross receipts taxes.

With HDA distributors providing between $33–$53 billion in cost savings to the U.S. healthcare economy each year, our industry is committed to improving access to lower-cost, high-quality medicines for patients.

The introduction of counterfeit or adulterated medicines into the supply chain is a serious issue that could adversely affect the safety of prescription medicines and the health of patients. To that end, HDA strongly supports tough, rigorous and consistent standards for state licensing of pharmaceutical distributors as required under federal law.

Drug shortages have challenged regulatory and supply chain stakeholders alike in recent years. While there are many factors that may result in a product being in short supply, HDA pharmaceutical distributor members play a central role in exchanging and coordinating information when a shortage occurs.

Pharmaceutical distributors have emergency preparedness plans in place to ensure continued operations in emergencies, and they actively collaborate with their supply chain partners to solve challenges created by a pandemic or severe emergency scenario.

HDA member companies' involvement in advocacy and legislative outreach is important to supporting, protecting and promoting the pharmaceutical distribution industry. As an organization that fosters productive partnerships between supply chain stakeholders and lawmakers, HDA facilitates this outreach by encouraging grassroots member participation in the legislative process.