WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Gary Peters and several of their colleagues in the introduction of the bipartisan Mapping America’s Pharmaceutical Supply (MAPS) Act, to codify a recent Trump administration Executive Order to secure essential medicine supply chains. The MAPS Act will direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to maintain and publish a list of essential medicines and conduct risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities such as overreliance on foreign sources and cybersecurity threats.

This bill also requires mapping of the entire pharmaceutical supply chains—from key ingredients to distribution—to improve transparency and preparedness, and mandate the Department of Defense (DOD) to report on U.S. reliance on Communist China for critical drug components.  This builds on Senator Scott’s provision included in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act which requires the DOD to develop a plan to secure their pharmaceutical supply chain by promoting domestically sourced drugs and not use Chinese ingredients or key starting materials.

Senator Rick Scott said, “I'm proud to support the bipartisan MAPS Act to strengthen our essential medicine supply chains and reduce America’s dangerous overreliance on Communist China for critical drug ingredients. This legislation will enhance federal coordination and supply chain visibility so we can better protect patients, prevent drug shortages, and ensure our national security isn’t compromised by foreign adversaries.”

Senator Gary Peters said, “As we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, federal agencies lack the visibility needed to effectively identify and respond to supply chain chokepoints. This bipartisan legislation will help ensure we have the tools necessary to proactively identify vulnerabilities in our essential medicine supply chains and reduce our dependence on foreign sources. Every American should have access to essential medicines.”  
 

Senator James Lankford said, “US dependence on pharmaceutical drugs and products from other countries, like communist China, is a major concern for our national security. China can cut off supplies at their will, as we saw during the first months of the COVID pandemic when China withheld PPE from OK healthcare providers and families. We should have transparency and diversity in our pharma supply chain, so we are never vulnerable to a communist nation for our healthcare needs.” 

Senator Joni Ernst said, “Depending on China for critical pharmaceutical ingredients poses a national security threat. Through our bipartisan action, we can identify essential medicines to strengthen the supply chain and reduce our reliance on our adversary. By taking action now, we can protect the health of our citizens in the future.”  

Senator Tim Kaine said, “Drug shortages can force Americans to ration or even go without the medications they need – leading to tragic and preventable consequences. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to proactively identify gaps in the supply chain, which will decrease the frequency and severity of future drug shortages.” 

Senator Angus King said, “As we work to protect our communities from a future public health emergency, researching and understanding the prescription drug supply chain is a simple way to help Americans stay healthy and safe – since access to medication is such a critical component to modern care. The bipartisan Mapping America’s Pharmaceutical Supply (MAPS) Act would help prevent prescription drug shortages, ensure that our country is reducing its dependence on foreign adversaries for essential medicines, while also protecting the American public from the effects of a future pandemic. I am grateful to my colleagues in both parties for putting the safety and health of the American people first.” 

The bill is supported by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Angels for Change, the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, United States Pharmacopeia, and CivicaRx.

Tom Kraus, Vice President of ASHP Government Relations said, “ASHP strongly supports the MAPS Act. By requiring the Department of Health and Human services to coordinate with other agencies and the private sector to map the pharmaceutical supply chain, threats to the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain can be identified and addressed before they place patients at risk.”  

Eric P. Winer, MD, FASCO, Board Chair of the Association for Clinical Oncology said, “ASCO applauds the introduction of the MAPS Act, which would provide needed tools to gain better visibility into the supply of critical prescription drugs in the United States. We support efforts to recognize potential drug shortages earlier and to relay information to stakeholders to help them prepare for and mitigate possible supply challenges. The bipartisan work of Senators Peters, Ernst, Cotton, Kaine, Lankford, King, and Scott on this important legislation, advances these efforts.” 

Laura Bray, Founder and Chief Change Maker of Angels for Change said, "Angels for Change proudly supports the MAPS Act—a vital step toward ending drug shortages and protecting patients. This bipartisan legislation will strengthen transparency and coordination across the entire drug supply chain, helping to detect and prevent disruptions before they impact care. Building the reliable supply chain patients deserve will require collaboration across government and industry. We applaud Senators Peters, Lankford, Ernst, Cotton, Kaine, King, and Scott for their leadership in prioritizing the safeguarding of Essential Medicines that will benefit all US patients."  

Brian Peters, CEO, Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) said, “Having access to the right medication and treatment is crucial to achieve the best outcome for patients. Drug shortages are a challenge that hospitals navigate constantly. The MAPS Act is an important way for our country to ensure everyone in our country can access essential medications when they need it. We thank Sen. Peters and his Senate colleagues for understanding how important it is for the health and security of our country to address drug shortages.”  

Ronald T. Piervincenzi, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Pharmacopeia said, “Prolonged and persistent drug shortages over the past two decades are jeopardizing Americans’ access to critical treatments and increasing our vulnerability to disruptions from natural disasters, pandemics, and geopolitical instability. Building meaningful and lasting resilience across this complex supply chain requires comprehensive reform. The MAPS Act will improve our ability to leverage tools, like USP’s Medicine Supply Map, to detect risks, anticipate shortages, and safeguard national security. As we seek further insight on the sourcing of key starting materials and API for producing our most vulnerable medicines, these collaborations are critical for understanding our vulnerabilities, as well as unlocking innovative solutions, like advanced manufacturing and scalable synthesis technologies.”  

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