Drug Scarcity A Threat to Health and National Security

Bringing drug manufacturing back home through incentives is key given critical vulnerabilities in U.S. drug supply and dependence on China.

Zadorozhnyi Viktor/Shutterstock

There are three main factors that separate a healthy population from one riddled with disease: good food, clean water, and essential medicine.

While all medications serve a purpose, only some are considered essential. Essential medicines fulfill the highest public health priorities. The World Health Organization (WHO) has maintained a list of essential medicines since 1977. These medications are selected based on the prevalence of the diseases they treat, evidence of their efficacy and safety, and their cost-effectiveness. Due to their critical importance, essential medicines should be available at affordable costs in functioning health systems at all times.