It’s January 2025, and the United States has decided to withdraw from the World Health Organization. The announcement was framed around the idea that the U.S. is paying far too much compared to countries like China, which has a population of 1.4 billion but only pays a fraction of what the U.S. contributes. On the surface, this decision might seem like a financial one, but the implications for our health and pharmacy profession are far-reaching.
The truth is, what we’re witnessing here is a shift in global politics—a move toward deglobalization, where the U.S. is pulling back from its leadership role in global health. While this may seem like a step toward nationalistic self-preservation, it could lead to long-term consequences that affect the global healthcare landscape. The United States has always played a huge role in shaping international health policies, but as we step back, other powerful nations may step in, potentially leaving us with less influence on the world’s health agenda.
From a pharmacist’s perspective, I can’t help but feel concerned. More than half of the medicines we rely on in the U.S. come from overseas. Many of those suppliers are in countries like China, which—despite being labeled as a rival by President Trump—has helped keep our shelves stocked and our country healthy. And yet, we’re now pulling back from the organizations that helped coordinate global supply chains and ensure the quality of medicines worldwide. The World Health Organization isn’t perfect, no organization is, but its efforts in eradicating diseases like smallpox and polio have been monumental. Without a global regulatory body like the WHO, we risk seeing those diseases re-emerge, as well as new health threats spreading unchecked.
Let’s face it, health crises are inevitable, and global pandemics will continue to occur. But as the U.S. disengages, we will likely see a weaker response from the global community. The WHO has played an essential role in vaccine distribution, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its departure will have a lasting effect on vaccine availability and stockpiling efforts. For us as pharmacists, this means we may face more drug shortages and a reduced ability to ensure that life-saving medications are available in times of crisis.
Take, for example, critical supplies like EpiPens or IV bags. These are the kinds of medications that we can’t afford to run out of. And yet, with fewer global checks on quality, the door is wide open for counterfeit medications to flood the market. We’ve already seen issues with subpar medications in certain parts of the world, and the potential for that to become a larger problem is very real. Our profession, which has always been focused on patient safety, is now at a crossroads. We have to decide whether to sit back and watch as these challenges unfold, or take an active role in shaping the future of global health.
Pharmacists must step up and use our collective voice to advocate for policies that protect our profession, our patients, and the global health infrastructure that has supported us for so long. It’s time to take control of what we can control and ensure that the supply chain for medications remains intact. If we don’t, we risk finding ourselves without the medicines we need, at a time when they’re needed most.
The consequences of this political shift won’t be fully realized for years, and there’s still so much we don’t know. But one thing is clear: it’s up to us to stand together, support our associations, and advocate for change. The erosion of trust in institutions, whether in government or healthcare, threatens the foundation of our society. If we don’t have trust, we don’t have anything. But if we can come together, we can ensure that our profession remains at the forefront of patient care—no matter what the future holds.
We’re at a crossroads, and yes, it presents many problems. But it also presents an opportunity for us to unify as a profession. Let’s not let this opportunity slip away. Instead, let’s rise to the occasion, support the changes we want to see, and make sure that we, as pharmacists, continue to fight for the health of everyone, everywhere. Because at the end of the day, that’s what our profession is all about.
Alex is the Founder of The Happy PharmD. He loves anime, his family, and video games, but not in that order.