10/07/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/07/2024 04:03
IRVING, Texas - Due to the impact tothe Baxter International, Inc. North Cove facility in Marion, N.C. from Hurricane Helene, Vizient has published a conservation guide for adult and pediatric IV push medications. Baxter's North Cove plant is a major producer of large volume IV fluid bags used for patient care in the U.S. The guide includes detailed information for providers, which will help conserve inventories during this time of potential supply disruption while maintaining the delivery of safe patient care.
"Vizient has been closely monitoring the situation since the storm hit and we are in communication with officials at Baxter as they assess the impact to the facility and their employees," said John Thompson, senior vice president, med/surg, lab and capital equipment for Vizient. "Because this facility is a significant producer of large volume IV fluids for the U.S., which includes saline, dextrose and lactated ringers, we are encouraging healthcare providers to take immediate action to manage their inventory and implement conservation strategies to help mitigate the risk of shortages."
Strategies for inventory management include:
"IV fluids are a foundational component of basic medication preparation and compounding for hundreds of drugs. Immediately implementing conservation strategies will be important to help minimize supply disruptions as the supply chain works to recover," said Mittal Sutaria, PharmD, senior vice president, pharmacy contract and program services for Vizient. "This guide gives providers a list of medications that can be administered as IV push or slow IV injection in instances of bulk IV fluid shortages."
Conservation strategies for IV fluids in general include:
Additionally, Vizient is encouraging all manufacturers of IV fluids to increase production and inventory levels to help ensure providers have access to these solutions that are critical to safe and effective patient care.
Click on this link to access the Adult and pediatric IV push medication reference guide.
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About Vizient, Inc.
Vizient, Inc., the nation's largest provider-driven healthcare performance improvement company, serves more than 65% of the nation's acute care providers, including 97% of the nation's academic medical centers, and more than 35% of the non-acute market. The Vizient contract portfolio represents $140 billion in annual purchasing volume enabling the delivery of cost-effective, high-value care. With its acquisition of Kaufman Hall in 2024, Vizient expanded its advisory services to help providers achieve financial, strategic, clinical and operational excellence. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Vizient has offices throughout the United States. Learn more at www.vizientinc.com.