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28 August 2020
Making sure patients get the medicines they need despite Covid-19
Covid-19 has disrupted daily life – but not Grünenthal’s end-to-end supply chain. Our teams are working tirelessly to keep all production and product supply activities running. And we are now participating in the #WeWontRest campaign to make sure patients get the medicines they need.
“We are working relentlessly to secure our supply chain – and bring medicines to patients in need.”
The outbreak of Covid-19 is creating unprecedented challenges for individuals, governments and companies around the globe. But despite these challenges, we have successfully managed to secure our supply chain and keep our production and distribution activities operating at all times. This achievement has been made possible by relentless hard work from people across our global network of sites, as well as global and local organizations, who have had to overcome unique local problems. Through a laser-sharp focus on our obligation to society as a pharmaceutical company, we have made sure that we continue to supply medicines to patients who need them. To emphasise our commitment, we are joining the #WeWontRest campaign from the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). It brings together organisations from across the pharma industry to fight against Covid-19 and make sure every patient gets the medicine they need – while also driving efforts to develop therapeutic options and find a vaccine.
Check out this video about the #WeWontRest campaign.
An incredible spirit of solidarity and teamwork has been the key to ensuring our supply of medicines to patients. A coordinated effort across our five production sites – in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Ecuador and Chile – and our supply and distribution hubs, have ensured a constant flow of information about how to anticipate, mitigate and respond to challenges. Italy was one of the first and most severely-hit countries, and the team at our site in Origgio, near Milan, developed an approach based on constant assessments of the situation that became a best practice example for other sites around the world. This approach is built on solid risk analysis and flexible planning, and covers everything from guaranteeing our supply of raw materials through to finding ways to secure trucks, air and sea freight, and bringing our medicines to hospitals and pharmacies. Of course, the safety of our people and the patients we serve is always our top priority.
Employees at many of our sites in Europe are now taking careful steps to return to an adjusted form of normality. As they take these steps, the teams are staying in close contact with colleagues in countries across Latin America as they coordinate their response to the outbreak. At the moment, Grünenthal is not experiencing any significant supply shortages, and we are constantly monitoring the situation as it develops because we purchase raw materials and finished products directly and indirectly around the globe. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, we had a strict policy for inventory management and safety stock in place to mitigate potential short-term supply shortages. With this process, and with our relentless focus on ensuring safety at all times, we are making sure that we are able to supply medicines to patients who need them – and fulfil our obligation to society as a pharmaceutical company.