Glove shortages loom as manufacturing hits supply snags
Supply Chain Pulse — 2026-04-28
Global glove manufacturers are warning of raw material shortages that could squeeze hospital inventories within months, just as supply chain teams thought they'd moved past pandemic-era scarcity. Meanwhile, Medtronic disclosed a cyberattack that highlights growing security risks across medical device supply chains, and ECRI is spinning off its spend management arm into a new company called Staritas. The thread connecting these stories: supply chain infrastructure remains fragile, whether from physical disruptions, cyber threats, or industry consolidation—and your contingency planning needs to account for all three vectors simultaneously.
Quick Hits
- J&J acquiring Atraverse Medical to expand cardiac ablation portfolio (Medical Device Network)
- Edwards Lifesciences raises 2026 guidance after strong Q1 performance (Medical Device Network)
- Amcor opens new medical packaging facility in Malaysia (Yahoo Finance)
- Hospital systems increasingly partner with home health companies for operations (Modern Healthcare)
Global Glove Manufacturing Faces Raw Material Shortages and Price Hikes
Glove manufacturers are experiencing persistent raw material disruptions that threaten to deplete hospital buffer inventories built up post-COVID. While current stock levels provide some cushion, procurement teams should prepare for potential shortages and cost increases in the coming months. This hits particularly hard since gloves represent one of the highest-volume consumables in healthcare.
Source: Healthcare Purchasing News
Medical Device Giant Medtronic Confirms Cyberattack
Medtronic disclosed it has been hacked, adding another major medical device manufacturer to the growing list of supply chain cyber incidents. For supply chain managers, this underscores the need to assess cybersecurity risks not just in your own operations, but across your entire vendor network. Device connectivity and supply chain digitization create new attack vectors that can disrupt both manufacturing and distribution.
ECRI Spins Off Spend and Recall Management Into New Company
ECRI is creating Staritas, a standalone company housing its spend management and recall management solutions. This move could reshape how hospitals access these critical supply chain services, potentially affecting pricing models and service integration. Supply chain leaders using ECRI's tools should monitor how this transition impacts their current contracts and service levels.
Source: Healthcare Purchasing News
RFID Technology Advances DSCSA Compliance for Drug Traceability
Enhanced RFID solutions are helping healthcare organizations meet Drug Supply Chain Security Act requirements more efficiently. For pharmacy and supply chain teams still struggling with serialization and traceability mandates, RFID offers a path to automate compliance while improving inventory visibility. The technology is becoming more cost-effective as adoption scales across the industry.
Nemours Sets New Standard for Strategic Sterile Processing
Nemours Children's Hospital is positioning its sterile processing department as a strategic asset rather than a cost center, investing heavily in people and technology. This approach—integrating SPD closely with perioperative services—offers a blueprint for other health systems looking to optimize surgical throughput and reduce instrument-related delays. The investment focus on workforce development addresses one of SPD's biggest challenges: staffing shortages.
Source: Healthcare Purchasing News
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