Res. No.
Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, S.6117, which establishes a state stockpile that shall maintain reserves of certain drugs, vaccines, biological products, medical devices, and other supplies.
By Council Member Riley
Whereas, The issue of access to medicine and medical devices has grown annually at an exponential rate nationwide, placing not only individuals with pre-existing conditions but also the general public in positions to experience stoppages and detrimental delays in necessary care in the case of an emergency; and
Whereas, The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response suggests that regardless of the strength of a supply chain, crises may occur that require a reaction that can limit the scale of disruption via adequate amounts of stockpiled materials available for consumer use while manufacturers' material production scales up to meet the increased demand; and
Whereas, A study published in 2024 by the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open revealed that during early 2020 of the COVID-19 pandemic, one in three national supply chain issue reports were related to drug shortages; and
Whereas, A 2023 article published by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network found that out of 1,222 survey participants, one in ten cancer patients reported being affected by the nation’s drug shortages, with 68 percent claiming difficulties in finding substitute medications and 45 percent claiming to have experienced treatment delays; and
Whereas, An article published by the Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) in April of 2020 included statements by New York State pharmacists and pharmacy employees that the COVID-19 pandemic had created shortages for even basic over-the-counter drugs as there was a strain on the supply chain, from manufacturers to wholesale deliverers; and
Whereas, CNBC also reported cases of shortages in thermometers, gloves, masks, pulse oximeters, and inhalers statewide; and
Whereas, In 2023, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, in recognition of the anticipated needs of access to abortion medication upon the Fifth Circuit Decision attempting to limit access to medication abortion, instructed the Department of Health to create a State stockpile of a 5-year supply of a combined 150,000 doses of Misoprostol; and
Whereas, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as per Federal Executive Order 13944 signed August 6th, 2020 by President Donald Trump titled “Combating Public Health Emergencies and Strengthening National Security by Ensuring Essential Medicines, Medical Countermeasures, and Critical Inputs Are Made in the United States”, maintains an essential medicines list, identifying critical drugs that must be readily available to meet public health needs; and
Whereas, Senior Director of Pharmacy Practice and Quality for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Michael Gaino, PharmD, suggested that developing a 3-6 month stockpile of the medications highlighted in the lists produced by the FDA and World Health Organization may help manage drug shortages by acting as a buffer; and
Whereas, Interviews and analysis of federal records conducted by USA TODAY Network revealed that between 2010 and 2021, as per data from a UC Berkley and University of Southern California study, that nearly a third of counties nationally experienced a net decline in pharmacies, with New York State being among the seven states where more than 50 percent of its counties experienced this net decline in the number of pharmacies; and
Whereas, S.6117, introduced by Senator Kevin Parker and pending in the New York State Senate, seeks to amend the Public Health Law by establishing a state stockpile which shall maintain reserves of certain drugs, vaccines, biological products, medical devices, and other supplies; and
Whereas, Prioritizing the development and maintenance of such a stockpile will recognize its vital role in safeguarding public health, ensure medication availability, and strengthen the resilience of New York’s healthcare system in times of crisis; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, S.6117, which establishes a state stockpile that shall maintain reserves of certain drugs, vaccines, biological products, medical devices, and other supplies.
MJM
LS #20152
8/11/2025