How BD and Medline are Redefining Supply Chain Resiliency

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For healthcare providers, few supplies are as fundamental—or as unforgiving when unavailable—as syringes. Used in nearly every care setting from inpatient units to physician offices, when availability of syringes falters, the consequences ripple quickly across clinical operations.

Over the past several years, disruptions in the syringe market have underscored just how vulnerable even “routine” medical products can be. Shortages strained providers, forced substitutions, and consumed valuable time for supply chain and clinical teams alike. Those challenges also sparked a broader question for the healthcare industry: What does true supply chain resiliency look like for essential products?

For BD and Medline, the answer has taken shape through a new program—one that goes beyond reacting to shortages and instead focuses on proactively positioning inventory where it matters most.

From disruption to deliberate resiliency

The BD-Medline collaboration centers on eight high‑volume BD syringe SKUs. To help ensure availability, the new program means Medline holds 45 days of inventory on hand for those products, storing them across its distribution network.

While carrying additional inventory may sound straightforward, both organizations emphasize that this effort represents a strategic shift in how resiliency is defined and executed.

“Traditionally, distributors carry roughly 30 days of inventory for a given product,” said Joe DiCandilo, group vice president of channel management for BD. “When you have these types of challenges and supply disruptions that the U.S. has seen more of since the COVID-19 pandemic, it puts a strain on everybody. So our commitment, along with Medline’s commitment, is to invest and carry more inventory of these critical items to satisfy demand, with a focus on patient care and customer service.”

A program built on shared accountability

For both companies, the program reflects a deliberate move away from the scramble that can emerge during shortages and toward a shared sense of responsibility.

“The message this sends to providers is that we’re not pointing fingers,” said Kyle Hoffmann, Medline’s senior vice president of vendor relations. “We’re coming together with a solution for customers to make healthcare more resilient.”

That partnership has deep roots. BD has been a longstanding Medline supplier since Medline entered distribution in the 1990s, and both organizations have invested heavily in their respective strengths—BD in manufacturing and Medline in distribution scale and reach.

“This really came from conversations about how we could better combine BD’s manufacturing leadership with Medline’s distribution excellence,” said Todd Dieckhoner, vice president and general manager for BD’s Medication Delivery Solutions business in North America. “We wanted to reinforce supply chain resiliency in a way that actually shows up for customers.”

Why syringes—and why now

Syringes became the natural starting point for this effort because of their ubiquity and criticality. Clinicians rely on syringes for everything from blood draws to medication administration, making even minor disruptions highly visible to clinicians and supply chain teams.

Over the past few years, the industry has seen challenges in this category. In response, BD invested heavily in expanding domestic syringe manufacturing capacity, while Medline worked closely with BD to ensure product flowed efficiently into distribution centers.

“BD has always been the market leader in syringes and domestically manufactured syringes,” said DiCandilo. “We’ve invested significant resources in our manufacturing capabilities to deliver more product to meet the market demand, which has been impactful for our collective customers.”

The result is a committed, ongoing program—not a temporary fix—that establishes a higher baseline for availability on these eight critical SKUs.

On-hand inventory as a resiliency strategy

By holding more inventory closer to the point of care, Medline and BD can help support customers through the volatility of the market. That approach resonates with customers who are eager to move beyond constant conversations about shortages.

“Hospitals are tired of talking about backorders,” Dieckhoner said. “They want to have more strategic conversations about their future, not constantly react to what’s missing today. This helps shift that dynamic.”

Manufacturing strength meets distribution scale

The resiliency effort is also underpinned by BD’s continued investment in domestic manufacturing. The company has significantly increased syringe production capacity in recent years, reducing exposure to global volatility.

That manufacturing strength is amplified by Medline’s national distribution footprint, which spans more than 45 distribution centers in the U.S. and enables next‑day delivery for 95% of US customers.

“When you combine high‑quality, domestically manufactured products with a distribution network designed for speed and scale, you create something much more resilient,” DiCandilo said. “It gives providers peace of mind.”

More than a single solution

Both organizations are clear that holding additional inventory is not a cure‑all—and not the only lever they are pulling to strengthen the supply chain.

Behind the scenes, Medline and BD continue to collaborate on transportation efficiencies, technology integration, and faster product ingestion into distribution centers. The inventory‑holding program is one visible example of that work, chosen because it directly addresses a pain point providers felt acutely.

“This is one arrow in our quiver,” Hoffmann said. “But it’s an important one, because it’s something customers care deeply about and can immediately benefit from.”