On Functional Equivalents, Country of Origin, and Monopolies in Healthcare
You never forget the first time you stand up for something you really care about. It’s awkward, exhilarating, and scary. And it’s also how light spreads.
What inspired me to speak out is a growing concern for a healthcare system that desperately needs reform — reform rooted in transparency, neutrality, and accountability.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve joined three national podcasts, each exploring a critical ingredient in building a more resilient healthcare supply chain:
1️⃣ AHRMM – Functional Equivalence and Hospital Empowerment
On the American Hospital Association’s AHRMM Podcast, we discussed functional equivalence — the data hospitals need to identify clinically comparable products across manufacturers without brand bias or restrictive contracts.
When hospitals can see and compare equivalent options — alongside all relevant product attributes — they gain flexibility, reduce cost, and strengthen supply chain resilience.
🎧 Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts
2️⃣ KevinMD – Monopoly Reform in Healthcare
On The Podcast by KevinMD, we tackled the growing challenge of industry consolidation. A handful of organizations now control the product, pricing and data that hospitals depend on — creating imbalance, shortages, and inflated costs. We explored how hospital-funded data platforms can restore balance and ensure that clinical and financial decisions are made in the best interest of patients — without commercial influence.
🎧 Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts
3️⃣ Power Supply – Country of Origin and Ethical Sourcing
On the Power Supply Podcast with Justin Poulin and Hays Wardrop, we examined the rising importance of country-of-origin transparency and ethical sourcing in healthcare procurement.
Knowing where products come from — and under what conditions they’re made — is essential to responsible purchasing. Ethical compliance, labor standards, and environmental impact must all be part of the data conversation.
🎧 Click here to listen on Power Supply Podcast *COMING SOON*
True resilience comes from independence and independence begins with unbiased data. Hospitals need a complete, neutral view of the industry: every manufacturer that produces a given product or category, supported by attributes like recall history, country of origin, chemical composition, and environmental impact. When that data is complete, standardized, and unbiased, it drives patient safety, sustainability, and preparedness across the entire continuum of care.
Reform begins when hospitals demand accountability across every product line.
Because in the end, everyone is a patient. And it’s our job to make healthcare our business.
About the Author
Lee Ann McWhorter is the Vice President of Business Development at Meperia. Her primary goals are to reduce data error, reduce cost and improve patient safety in the healthcare industry. Lee Ann has worked with the founders of Meperia for over 16 years and understands the breakpoints in the healthcare supply chain and the need for unbiased, quality data moving forward. For more information about Meperia please reach out to lmcwhorter@meperia.com.