Intravenous fluid shortages appear to be affecting the majority of the nation’s healthcare providers, who as a result are already beginning to cancel procedures, survey data published Thursday show.
In a poll of its provider membership fielded earlier this week, healthcare group purchasing organization Premier Inc. found that 86% are reporting IV fluid shortages after Hurricane Helene interrupted operations at a Baxter International facility in North Carolina. Baxter is one of the U.S.’ top suppliers of hospital IV fluids and peritoneal dialysis solutions and its North Cove, N.C. facility is one of its largest plants.
The company said Wednesday it would increase the current allocations for its highest demand IV fluid for direct customers from 40% to 60% and for distributors from 10% to 60%, according to an update on its website. The company started allocations last week to “help limit stockpiling and increase the likelihood of equitable access to available products."
Nearly all of Premier’s surveyed providers, 88%, reported they are receiving less than half of their requested orders. As opposed to a typical supply of 15 to 22 days on hand, about 54% said they now have 10 days or less of IV fluids in their inventories “with limited ability to replenish those stocks.”
Premier noted that reports of a shortage appeared evenly spread across hospital demographics like size or system affiliation, though the smallest providers (25 beds or fewer) were more likely to report receiving 0% of their IV fluid order.
“Considering these trends, providers reported in qualitative survey comments that it’s only a matter of time until supplies dwindle to zero,” the purchaser wrote in its survey.
Some providers told Premier they are already adjusting their operations. Over 81% said they have implemented conservation protocols for IV fluids. About 5% said they are already planning to cancel procedures and 12% said the same for elective procedures. Fifty-eight percent said they are “considering that option.”
Should the shortages and interruptions persist, however, 23% said they would be canceling procedures within a week, 28% within two weeks and 27% within a month.
Premier noted that providers are likely keeping a close eye on Hurricane Milton, where a B. Braun Medical manufacturing plant that also produces IV fluids was closed and emptied out prior to the second storm.
Three in five of Premier’s respondents said they are worried about the duration of the current shortage. About 81% said they were either somewhat or very concerned about the IV fluid shortage spilling over into other product categories “such as flush syringes, sterile water, IV bags and tubing, oral hydration solutions and other supplies used in daily patient care,” the purchaser wrote.
Premier also raised concerns of price gouging and counterfeit products during the shortage, as just under half of the respondents said they had received solicitations from “unapproved, gray market suppliers offering to sell them IV fluids at highly marked up prices.”
“Premier’s survey data underscores the need for Congress and federal agencies to leverage recent learnings and respond with a cohesive national strategy to help support and stabilize the U.S. supply chain in the long term for better preparedness during emergencies,” the purchaser wrote in its survey.
The member survey was fielded on Monday and Tuesday and saw responses from 257 providers of varying sizes representing about 11% of the country’s total acute care beds. Alongside petitions for increased government support, the company said it’s providing guidance on IV fluid conservation and working to expedite imports from overseas suppliers.
The American Hospital Association and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists have urged the administration to declare a Public Health Emergency to improve government and provider flexibilities.
Though it has so far declined to do so, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra penned a Wednesday letter describing a governmentwide response targeting alternative manufacturing sites, potential temporary imports and expedited assessments of shelf-life extension requests.
He also said the government was pre-deploying assets ahead of Hurricane Milton and reminded providers that compounding of drugs on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration shortage list can be done in accordance with current requirements to help alleviate shortages.