Cyberattack disrupts Alliance Healthcare España pharmaceutical order processing and deliveries

Beginning around March 17, 2023, Alliance Healthcare España experienced a cyberattack-associated IT outage that severely impaired its pharmaceutical distribution operations. Its website, billing infrastructure and order-processing systems became unavailable or dysfunctional, preventing the company from serving most pharmacy deliveries during the initial days of disruption. Pharmacies in Spain, particularly in Catalonia, faced supply difficulties and turned to alternative wholesalers. Sector sources confirmed delayed deliveries of some medicines, although alternative distribution arrangements mitigated wider patient consequences. The company acknowledged the IT interruption and its efforts to restore systems but did not publicly establish the technical attack mechanism. The incident materially disrupted pharmaceutical order processing and distribution to downstream pharmacies.