Difficult to fill the gap

In a statement published online Thursday, Baxter said it does not yet have a timeline for when operations will return to operations.

Part of the problem, the company says, is that the bridges to its site were damaged during the storm, limiting transportation in and out.

The Department of Health and Human Services and the agency’s Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response are working with Baxter to assess damage and assist with recovery efforts.

An HHS spokesperson said the administration is focused on “mitigating supply chain disruptions that could result from damage to the facility and surrounding infrastructure.”

In addition to Baxter, the spokesperson said, two other major IV fluid manufacturers in the U.S. are also working to increase supply.

“The FDA’s Drug Shortage Office is in contact with Baxter regarding the impact on products manufactured at the plant and will continue to work with FEMA to assist the company in cleaning up the plant,” the spokesperson said.

One of the manufacturers committed to increasing supply is B. Braun Medical, which accounts for about 23% of the IV fluid market, a company spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the company wants to increase its supply of the “most critical products” or “hospital workhorses.” such as large volume bags – 500 milliliters to 2,000 milliliters – sodium chloride, sterile water and lactate ringers.

B. Braun Medical is also hiring and hopes to operate 24/7 at two of its facilities in the coming weeks. An attempt has also been made to bring in products from abroad; However, ports on the East Coast and Gulf Coast are closed due to the port strike, exacerbating the problem.

Still, it will be difficult to make up for the gap left by Baxter.

“We expect there will be major restrictions on U.S. supplies of IV fluids due to the production outage at Baxter’s North Cove facility,” the company spokesperson said in a statement.

ICU Medical, another IV fluid supplier, said it is watching for potential increases in demand.

The company has “already taken the necessary steps to increase production to meet market needs,” spokesman Harrison Richards said.

Hospitals are preparing

In the meantime, hospitals are taking steps to ensure patients still get the IV fluids they need.

New Jersey-based RWJBarnabas Health said it is taking “appropriate conservation measures” across its health care system as it assesses the supply impacted by Baxter.

“There is no impact to patient care at this time,” said Carrie Cristello, spokesperson for RWJBarnabas. “We continue to monitor the situation closely.”

In a statement, Oregon Health & Science University Hospital, which was also affected by Baxter’s closure, said it is keeping its community informed of any changes that may be needed in patient care, research or educational missions.

The hospital also uses oral hydration options when possible, and evaluates each patient for discontinuation of continuous IV fluids.

Northwestern Medicine in Illinois said the supply chain team is also discussing conservation efforts.

“We expect this to be a long-term problem,” said spokesperson Jenny Nowatzke.