In this best-of edition of the Vital Health Podcast, we revisit two conversations Duane Schulthess has with experts on the future of generic medicines, drug shortages, and supply chain risk in the United States.

• Patrick Kelly: Chief Advocacy Officer, Healthcare Distribution Alliance
• John Murphy: President and CEO, Association for Accessible Medicines

Across these conversations, they discuss how low prices, thin margins, supply chain disruption, reshoring pressure, biosimilar market dynamics, insurance design, and federal pricing policy shape access to generic and biosimilar medicines.

Key Topics:

• Generic Economics: Low prices, thin margins, purchaser pressure, manufacturer exits.
• Shortage Drivers: Demand spikes, facility shutdowns, sterile injectables, chemotherapy disruptions.
• Tariffs and Reshoring: Domestic production costs, national security concerns, tariff pass-through, contract constraints.
• Biosimilar Competition: Private-label programs, vertical integration, investment uncertainty, patient access.
• Policy and Insurance: IRA redesign, MFN pricing, direct-to-consumer pathways, prescription benefit reform.

Opinions expressed are those of the speakers. Original podcasts published in October 2025. The Vital Health Podcast is a production of Vital Transformation LLC © 2026.