Alert Context

Cato is tracking ongoing disruptions in the supply of medical consumables due to the conflict in Iran. Volatility is expected to persist thrpughout Q2.

Supply Gap Analysis

Multiple essential items for continuous care delivery are manufactured from petroleum-derived polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC.

Availability constraints and cost surges of essential oil-derived inputs are expected to persist and drive market volatility in the coming months.

What Health Systems Can Do Now

Optionality is a robust strategy for mitigating volatility. Cato can assist teams with immediate mitigation steps.

1. Immediate access to clinical equivalents: Cato can help source from alternative manufacturers items that are experiencing disruptions, such as nitrile or vinyl gloves; personal protective equipment, including masks, medical gowns, and drapes; syringes and IV bags; and wound care products such as adhesives, bandages, and dressings.
2. Resilience planning: Cato recommends keeping at least two approved products on formulary from different manufacturers to prevent future stockouts and can help secure backup inventory quickly.

Developing secondary, and even tertiary, alternatives for items that can disrupt care delivery is a practical way to operationalize resilience in clinical operations.

If immediate coverage is needed, send required volumes and Cato will confirm real-time availability for clinical equivalents.

Our Risk Radar tool provides live updates on medical supply disruptions.

• Monitor medical consumables dependent on petroleum-derived polymer inputs, including gloves, PPE, syringes, IV bags, and wound care.
• Build secondary and tertiary sourcing paths for categories that can interrupt continuous care delivery.
• Use Risk Radar and live availability checks to confirm coverage as material volatility changes.