A bipartisan group of U.S. senators led by Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) recently asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take action on the nation’s intravenous fluid shortage.
In an Oct. 11 letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, the senators urged the department to address the IV fluid shortage caused by the temporary closure of Baxter International’s manufacturing plant in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. The Marion, N.C.-based facility was shut down due to flooding. In a Sept. 29 release, the company said water permeated the facility, damaging inventory and raw materials, forcing the shutdown of the site. Additionally, access to the site has been limited due to a roadway collapse, officials said. Baxter produces nearly two thirds of the country’s IV solution.
Officials with various federal agencies, like HHS, the Food and Drug Administration and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) are working to address the gap left by the plant’s closure including increasing the supply from other manufacturers and allowing importation of products manufactured abroad, many hospitals are already facing shortages and are looking for clear communication on the plan for the months ahead.
“The uncertainty created by reduced product deliveries has led to conservation policies in health facilities across our states. After orders were recently cancelled, some providers have reported having only single-digit days’ worth of product on hand, while others are utilizing over the-counter oral hydration solutions like Gatorade—and fear reduced allocations of those alternatives as well. While providers are seeing promising results from HHS’s actions so far, we must ensure this progress continues,” the senators wrote.
The senators asked that HHS take the necessary steps to increase production, facilitate the arrival of products from overseas and review product shelf life to consider expiration extensions, as well as communicate with health providers as to their options moving forward.