Interagency DLA Troop Support–FDA partnership guides DOW drug supply chain security policies

Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support pharmacists have struck a rare data-sharing pact with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration aimed at tightening oversight of the military’s pharmaceutical supply chain and bolstering readiness. The arrangement has already yielded a new dataset delivered June 28, according to the agency.

The agreement grew out of a recommendation by the Department of Defense Inspector General and is intended to help the Pentagon identify and manage drug supply chain risks by setting new management practices and strengthening partnerships across federal agencies.

“We co-chair the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Risk Working Group alongside the Defense Health Agency,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Josh Stallings, CPOC chief, “to mitigate military drug supply chain risks, the group works in coordination with DLA and other federal partners to ensure consistent access to pharmaceuticals for the warfighter.”

Officials said the FDA partnership is designed to illuminate opaque points in the prescription drug supply chain by sharing industry data that can help the military track where medicines are produced and how they move from manufacturers to service members. “This data further informs our analysis of prescription drugs as the as they move through the supply chain,” said CPOC Pharmacist Navy Lt. Cmdr. Sean Szad.

Szad said the dataset gives the most precise picture to date for optimizing warfighter readiness. “Our initial requests to the FDA mainly centered around countries of concern that could impact the availability of these drugs in some type of contingency.” Szad said.

Under the agreement, DLA Troop Support will be able to map its monthly pharmaceutical orders against country-of-origin data to spot potential vulnerabilities before they disrupt care. The capability is intended to help decision-makers anticipate shortages, diversify sourcing, and secure alternative procurement pathways during crises or geopolitical disruptions.

“We are deeply interested in knowing where these drugs come from,” Stallings said, “because of their importance to the warfighter. In a contingency, we need to make sure to maintain reliable procurement.”

DLA Troop Support frames the collaboration as part of a broader effort to increase transparency across the defense health supply chain and to ensure uninterrupted access to critical medicines. Leaders also cast the FDA relationship as a model for how federal partners can share data in support of mission readiness.

“We are huge fans of the FDA,” Stallings said. “They’re a big fan of what we do, I think, because we develop these types of relationships. This interagency data sharing agreement is a big win for us here at Troop Support and for the warfighter we work for! I mean, it’s a big win in huge way.”