of sources, including natural disasters, limited production capacity for niche devices, manufacturing quality issues and insufficient investment in paediatric device innovation.
For example, sterilisation constraints related to ethylene oxide – a chemical used to sterilise many medical devices – have already caused significant disruption in the availability of critical devices.
The COVID-19 pandemic starkly exposed these weaknesses, with shortages in ventilators and personal protective equipment( PPE) dominating headlines.
For paediatric patients, the problem was even more acute due to the smaller production runs of specialised devices. This often left hospitals scrambling
“Generics account for roughly 90 % of all US prescriptions and tariffs would potentially raise costs for a significant portion of the market”
ARTHUR WONG, HEALTHCARE MANAGING DIRECTOR, S & P GLOBAL RATINGS
86 April 2025