Fix it once and for all: Viatris country manager calls for action on medicine shortages and sovereign manufacturing

In a highly relevant discussion as part of the Reimagining Healthcare Senior Leadership Series, Sylvain Vigneault, Country Manager at Viatris, confronts the pressing challenges and untapped opportunities in how investment in sovereign manufacturing could transform the nation in the next 10-15 years.

“We all have to understand it’s a collective effort…to come together to address the need, [especially] in critical medicines where we should never be out of stock for life threatening or very acute care,” he emphasised.

Reflecting on Viatris’ involvement in the inquiry into Developing Advanced Manufacturing and the subsequent report, Vigneault identifies the most promising avenues for reform, grounded in the report’s ten recommendations. Yet, he doesn’t shy away from addressing the critical gaps, questioning whether the recommendations go far enough to address systemic vulnerabilities.

“Sadly we needed an event like COVID-19 to demonstrate that we’re quite exposed by having 90% of our products coming from abroad,” he said. “We are finally realising the need for local manufacturing. The inquiry in itself is a significant improvement.”

With the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) reporting over 400 medicine shortages at any given time, Vigneault highlights the stark reality of Australia’s dependence on imports for 90% of its medicines. He echoes the concerns of RACP President Professor Jennifer Martin, who has called this a “major national health equity concern”.

As the government considers stakeholder feedback from the medicine shortages consultation, he argues that the urgency of reform cannot be overstated.

“Short term consultations keep on adding short term band-aids. The issue of medicine shortages will never evolve and transform until we address the source of the problem. So, let’s fix it once and for all,” Vigneault emphasised.

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