The FDA maintains a list of drugs that are experiencing shortages.  At any given time this list contains somewhere from 70 to 100 medications.  But it’s not just drug shortages that are affecting hospitals; product shortages, particularly IV saline bags, are also a pain point.  While the causes of these shortages are complex and wide-ranging, the challenge remains to develop measures to alleviate the impact on patients, to minimize risk, and to increase communication channels within the network, with supplier partners and with healthcare professionals and patients.

 

Morten Wendelbo will address the ongoing shortage of IV saline bags.  Though this shortage is not new, it has been exacerbated recently due to the high numbers of flu patients during a virulent flu season over the last several months.  Topics discussed will include potential solutions, including increased domestic production, better partnership between government and industry, and improved planning for potential spikes in demand.  

 

Risk management tends to be reactive rather than proactive. Proactive risk management and clear and transparent communication are essential measures to maintain trust between all stakeholders in order to help avoid shortages.   In Part 2 of this session you will hear from Tom Grace who will share methods to prevent, mitigate, and manage shortages of important medicinal products.  Best practices for early identification of potential shortages and ideas for developing a comprehensive plan for addressing shortages while still meeting the needs of the patient will also be discussed.

 

1. Outline best practices for handling product shortages when they impact your organization.

2. Specify the complex issues that have resulted in a shortage of IV saline bags in the United States.

3. Describe methods to prevent shortages and how to identify potential shortages before they occur.