> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.fdaweb.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Senators Want Defense Drug Supply Security Update
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/senators-want-defense-drug-supply-security-update/
- Published: 2024-03-19T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T14:25:44.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5156591

A bipartisan group of nine senators led by Sens. **Elizabeth Warren** (D-MA) and **Marco Rubio** (R-FL) are asking the Department of Defense (DoD) for an update on its efforts to address risks to the military pharmaceutical supply chain. A [statement](https://www.publicnow.com/view/A02F11DD56D81093C9C84E600FBF4839A65AFFD4?1710873958&ref=fdaweb.com) from Warren (includes a link to a letter to Secretary of Defense **Lloyd Austin**) says a section of the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act directed DoD to develop guidance for risk management of its pharmaceutical supply chain, report on supply chain vulnerabilities, and establish a working group to develop policies for allocating scarce pharmaceutical resources.

In addition to asking questions of DoD, the senators released the department’s report on pharmaceutical supply chain risks that shows that 27% of the drugs on FDA’s essential medicines list were categorized by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) as “very high risk” because they either are dependent on Chinese manufacturers using Chinese ingredients or are drugs with unknown sources. The report also says that of 211 drugs examined by the DLA, 46 were sourced from China and 126 had active pharmaceutical ingredients sourced from India in 2022.

“These findings underscore the urgency of strengthening and securing the department’s pharmaceutical supply chain,” the senators write.