CARES Act Reforms Aim to Prevent Shortages of Critical Medical Products

On March 27, 2020, Congress passed and the President signed into law H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act). Recognizing the critical supply chain risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress included multiple provisions in the CARES Act that aim to mitigate and prevent future medical product shortages (these provisions are primarily located in Part I of Title III, Subtitle A of the Act). These provisions include notable amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act), as summarized in this alert..