Dr. George Ball of the Kelley School of Business will join a committee organized by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to study the United States’ reliance on medical supplies manufactured outside of the country, according to the Kelley school’s blog.
The goal of the study is to find ways to improve the medical supply chain within the US so that it is more prepared to deal with public health emergencies.
“Recent disasters and health emergencies, including but not limited to COVID-19 have increased recognition of the fragility of the US medical supply chain,” the description of the study said.
Ball’s research has focused on the quality of supply chains of medical devices and medicines in the US. While at Kelley, he has worked on collaborative research projects with government organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Center for Device and Radiological Health, according to the blog post.
“In working with the committee, I am thankful that I can leverage my current research on drug supply chain quality, my contract work with the FDA exploring drug quality and shortages and my previous medical device industry experience.” Ball said.
The study is being sponsored by the US Health and Human Services Office, according to the blog post.
