When pharmaceuticals and medical supplies are readily available through a primary distributor, procurement is relatively straightforward. But when a product is backordered, allocated, experiencing a shortage, or difficult to locate through traditional channels, the procurement process can become much more challenging.
For healthcare facilities, maintaining access to essential products requires more than simply waiting for inventory to return. A proactive sourcing strategy can provide additional options when traditional distribution channels cannot meet a specific need.
What Makes Products Difficult to Source?
Pharmaceuticals and medical supplies can become difficult to obtain for a variety of reasons. Manufacturing disruptions, raw material constraints, recalls, increased demand, distribution limitations, shortages, and allocations can all affect product availability.
In some cases, a product may technically be available in the market but difficult for a particular facility to obtain because of limited inventory or changes in supplier distribution.
This is where secondary sourcing can provide value. A product that appears unavailable through a primary wholesaler may still be available through another part of the supply chain.
Procurement Challenges of Backordered Products
Backordered medications and medical supplies can create uncertainty for pharmacy, purchasing, and supply chain teams. When an order cannot be filled, procurement teams may need to determine:
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Is the product experiencing a national shortage or a temporary supply disruption?
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Are other manufacturers, NDCs, or product configurations available?
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Is inventory available through another distribution channel?
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Are alternative package sizes or comparable products available?
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How long is the expected wait for replenishment?
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Can additional inventory be secured before the situation becomes more difficult?
Finding answers to these questions can take valuable time, particularly when procurement teams are already managing multiple shortages and supply chain disruptions.
Working with an established secondary sourcing partner gives procurement teams another resource to turn to when a product is unavailable through their usual channels.
Specialty Pharmaceutical Sourcing Requires Flexibility
Specialty pharmaceutical sourcing can require a different approach than routine purchasing. Products may have limited availability, higher acquisition costs, specialized handling requirements, or inconsistent distribution.
Rather than searching for a product only after it becomes unavailable, procurement teams can benefit from monitoring market conditions and establishing additional sourcing relationships before an urgent need develops.
This may include identifying alternative manufacturers or NDCs, monitoring products that are frequently backordered, and maintaining relationships with suppliers that have access to different areas of the market.
Medical Supply Sourcing Is Part of the Equation
Pharmaceutical shortages are not the only procurement challenge healthcare facilities face. Essential medical supplies can also experience backorders, allocations, manufacturer disruptions, and unpredictable availability.
IV administration supplies, irrigation products, surgical supplies, electrodes, warming products, diagnostic supplies, and other clinical products can become difficult to obtain through traditional distribution channels.
When a medical supply is unavailable through a primary supplier, secondary sourcing can provide another avenue for locating inventory and identifying potential options.
For facilities managing high volumes of supplies across multiple departments or locations, having an additional sourcing resource can help reduce the time spent searching for products when availability changes.
Secondary Sourcing Can Complement Primary Distribution
Secondary sourcing does not necessarily replace a facility's primary wholesaler. Instead, it can serve as an additional resource when normal procurement channels cannot meet a specific need.
Hospitals, health systems, ambulatory surgery centers, specialty practices, veterinary hospitals, and other healthcare organizations may all encounter situations where a product becomes difficult to obtain.
Having an established secondary sourcing relationship can give procurement teams another option when pharmaceuticals or medical supplies become unavailable, backordered, or allocated.
The goal is not to replace existing supplier relationships. It is to expand the resources available to procurement teams when supply conditions change.
A More Proactive Approach to Supply Chain Challenges
Preparation can make it easier to respond when products become difficult to obtain. Healthcare facilities can strengthen their procurement strategy by:
Monitoring supply conditions: Stay informed about shortages, recalls, backorders, allocations, and changes in product availability.
Identifying additional sources: Establish relationships with qualified secondary suppliers before an urgent need arises.
Evaluating available alternatives: When appropriate, consider different manufacturers, NDCs, package sizes, or comparable products that may meet the procurement need.
Communicating early: Sharing upcoming needs with sourcing partners can provide more time to locate inventory and explore available options.
Maintaining flexibility: Product availability can change quickly, so procurement strategies should be flexible enough to adapt to changing market conditions.
Secondary Sourcing for Veterinary Hospitals
Veterinary hospitals can face many of the same procurement challenges as human healthcare facilities, including backordered medications, manufacturer shortages, allocations, and unpredictable availability.
When a veterinary medication or medical supply is difficult to obtain through a primary distributor, having an additional sourcing option can help procurement teams respond to changing availability.
TCC Pharma supports veterinary hospitals with secondary sourcing for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies that may be difficult to locate through traditional distribution channels. By helping identify potential sourcing options, we provide veterinary teams with an additional resource when supply conditions change.
How TCC Pharma Supports Procurement Teams
TCC Pharma specializes in secondary sourcing for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. Since 2001, we have helped healthcare facilities navigate products that may be difficult to obtain through traditional distribution channels.
Our procurement team works with hospitals, health systems, ambulatory surgery centers, specialty practices, veterinary facilities, government agencies, and other healthcare organizations to help identify sourcing options for products affected by shortages, backorders, allocations, and other supply chain challenges.
We work as an extension of your procurement team, helping identify available products, evaluate sourcing options, and navigate changing market conditions.
Whether you are dealing with a current shortage, a backordered medication, or a hard-to-source medical supply, having an additional sourcing resource can give your team another option when availability changes.
Looking for a Hard-to-Find Product?
Need help sourcing a hard-to-find product? Connect with a TCC Pharma Procurement Specialist to discuss your sourcing needs at tccpharma.com/pages/contact.
Browse our trending product listings at tccpharma.com/pages/trending-products to stay up to date on trending products, chat live with a Procurement Specialist, and request a quote online.
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