Region’s hospitals work around IV-bag shortage

When the storm impacted the island territory hit Puerto Rico in September, it devastated highways, ports, and the electrical grid, debilitating many of the industries based on the island.

While those in the storm's immediate path continue to recover, hospitals across the country are feeling the effects of the storm on a key Puerto Ricanmanufacturer of IV bags.

The storm only worsened an existing shortage hospitals have been working around since 2014, saidMark Ross, regional manager for the southeastern emergency preparedness team of theHospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania.

"This has been a situation that has been occurringto some degree for a couple of years now,"said Ross.

The bags affected by the shortage are used to administer intravenous medications to patients as well as keep them hydrated. Even with the record-setting flu season, Ross and others feel confident hospitals are prepared.

"We routinely work with our members and exercise and train and come up with protocols for dealing with critical supply shortages. This is something weve worked for years, and that training and the plans and procedures to deal with critical supply shortages has really paid for us here in Pennsylvania," said Ross.

Hospitals are ensuring that, even with the shortage, medications are reaching the people who need them most. "We need to be sure were using the right medication for the right patient at the right time to make sure their clinical outcomes are positive," said Ross.

Food & Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottliebsaid in a statement last November the FDA was "actively working" to manage the shortage through on-the-ground measures in Puerto Rico and temporarily lifting some regulations, such as allowing hospitals to purchase the bags from companies outside the United States.

Hospitals are shifting some practices to both save on supply and ensure medications administered through an IV are available for the patients who need them.

"We have been evaluating our inventory of our IV solutions on a daily basis, and were looking on a systemwide level of what is needed based on patient need for that day. Were shifting stock as necessary," said Holly Bones,system director of pharmacy procurement and formulary services for Geisinger hospitals.

IV saline treatments are frequently used to help fight dehydration. In response to the shortage, said Bones, patients who are able to drink water will be asked to drink water instead.

"Obviously, we have to treat the symptoms of the flu, and one of the primary means of treating patients with the flu is to keep them hydrated," said Bones.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center sought to assure patients the hospital was taking similar conservation measures.

"In a broader sense, drug and supply shortages are nothing new for hospitals. We have a task force that regularly discusses such issues and develops plans to manage any current or anticipated shortages in a way that ensures we continue to meet the needs of our patients," the statement said.View the full article from the Central Penn Business Journal at http://www.cpbj.com/article/20123/CPBJ01/1299/regions-hospitals-work-around-ivbag-shortage. Copyright 201 BridgeTower Media. All Rights Reserved.

CREDIT: Gillian Branstetter