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JUNE
**28, 2022**
Dayen on TAP
The Newest Supply Chain Issue
The Supreme Court stripping away bodily autonomy has created a run on
Plan B.
****
By now we've grown accustomed to seeing products out of stock, in
short supply, or with limited purchase. Welcome to supply-stressed
America, 2022. But the latest shortage has a simple rationale.
CVS, Walmart, and Rite Aid have all placed limitations
on the sale of what is commonly known as the morning-after pill. These
pills make up the first line of defense against pregnancy, as they
prevent ovulation. Right now, you can only get three sets of Plan B
One-Step , the main morning-after pill
available without a prescription, at CVS or Rite Aid. Walmart's limits
are around four to six, though if you want more you have to wait a
month. So far, Walgreens has no purchase limit, though its website
erroneously said there was one. It has stopped shipping to the home;
purchases can only be made in-store. Most of the major retailers are
showing out of stock or short supply on their websites.
This is a classic hoarding scenario, akin to toilet paper at the outset
of the pandemic. Women now have no control over their own bodies in many
parts of the country, and the morning-after pill can prevent them from
having to carry a child to term at the behest of the state. That's
driving the run, and subsequent rationing. It's a rare supply chain
issue derived from forced second-class citizenship.
The shelf life of Plan B
is four years, equivalent to prescription medication abortion pills like
mifepristone (which can stay in medicine cabinets
for five years) and misoprostol (which can stay for two). Though Planned
Parenthood on Monday warned women against stockpiling the drug, in the
past the message has been
to "buy it BEFORE you need it." It's going to be next to impossible to
convey that everyone needs to be mindful to not create shortages in
emergency contraception, especially in the wake of Clarence Thomas
threatening all contraception
in the years to come.
And so you have this hoarding taking place, which has likely been going
on since the leaked draft opinion. The demand surge isn't surprising
and manufacturers are reportedly increasing production
.
But this must of course intersect with all the trials of sourcing
ingredients, finding berths on ships, securing freight delivery
,
and the sundry other supply chain challenges that haven't abated over
two years.
The situation is likely to jack up the price, if only because the
cheaper options get sold out more quickly. Morning-after pills can be
found typically for as little as $8-$10, but prices are climbing
.
**The Wall Street Journal**couldn't find an option below $35
on Monday.
Fortunately, there aren't any financial predators in this space able
to capitalize on the chaos. Wait, what am I talking about, this is
America. The leading over-the-counter emergency contraceptive Plan B
One-Step is owned by two private equity firms, which bought it out
from Teva Pharmaceuticals in 2017. Watch your wallet!
More broadly, it's another reminder that our system of commerce is
fragile, and any of a number of disruptions can make a normal
transaction unattainable. We created a just-in-time system that didn't
account for climate change, pandemics, civil unrest, random fires, or
contamination events at factories, or in this case, a lurch back to the
Stone Age for reproductive rights. The system is constantly breaking
because it's breakable.
~ DAVID DAYEN
Follow David Dayen on Twitter
[link removed]
Samuel Alito: The 21st-Century Roger Taney
The author of 'Dred Scott' and the author of Dobbs v. Jackson
Women's Health Organization stripped fundamental rights from Blacks
and women, respectively. And sundered their nation in the process. BY
HAROLD MEYERSON
Fourth of July Flight Cancellation Hell
It's likely to be even worse than Memorial Day weekend, when
fraudulent staffing levels caused 2,800 flights to be canceled. BY
ROBERT KUTTNER
The White House Did Not Push to Fund a Key Energy Cost-Saving Tool
Missouri Rep. Cori Bush fought to secure $100 million to carry out
Biden's new plan to speed domestic production of clean energy. BY
LEE HARRIS
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