ABSTRACT
The suppliers have broken the United States IMD supply chain system by exerting their heavy influence and by controlling the payers, providers, and physicians. Pittman called the current system transaction-focused, rather than being founded on value-based incentives. Once such incentives are put into place, Pittman said, “suddenly we are in a different discussion.” Health system and GPO consolidation should have resulted in greater aggregated volume and thus lower prices for goods, while offshoring manufacturing usually would have created a financial benefit because costs are reduced. The system is broken because it primarily benefits one participant and is indicative of problems throughout the US healthcare system. During the pandemic, when new vaccines were being rushed to market to quickly meet the worldwide crisis, many physicians were pushing back, expressing concern, saying that they needed scientific, empirical evidence before they could make selections of vaccines for their patients.
