During pandemics, there may be shortfalls of supplies, which can be exacerbated by inefficient distribution. This new paper explores a mechanism to help increase the flow of medical supplies to where they are needed most, by discouraging hoarding. The paper also offers observations on whether the proposed mechanism could provide benefits in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The paper titled "A Mechanism to Reduce Medical Supply Shortfalls During Pandemics" is in RAND Perspectives, and is co-authored with Elizabeth Hastings Roer at RAND.