How did the Straits of Hormuz crisis empty the shelves of pharmacies in London and New York?
🔹 Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the growing geopolitical crisis in the region have unprecedentedly disrupted the vital supply chains of global health services, and caused significant disruptions in the supply chain of medicines across Europe, Great Britain and the United States.
🔹 On the one hand, the pharmaceutical industry's complete reliance on petrochemical derivatives for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients and packaging materials; On the other hand, India's central role as the world's main supplier of generic drugs - heavily dependent on Gulf oil - has meant that any disruption to this strategic waterway has led to severe shortages of drugs in Western countries, especially paralytic drugs. 🔹 Meanwhile, Britain's National Health Service (NHS) found itself at the forefront of vulnerability due to its structural dependence on foreign supply chains (about 75% of its drugs are imported) and its cost-containment pricing model.
🔹 It should be noted, generic drugs make up 85% of all prescriptions in the UK. Reports indicate price increases of up to 1,000% for aspirin as quoted by some suppliers, alongside local restrictions and rationing of essential medicines in pharmacies.
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