This week the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a warning about potential impacts from the East Coast and Gulf Ports strike on supply chains for healthcare. Currently, HHS is coordinating with Administration officials, FDA, ASPR and other suppliers, and has stated that the impact should be limited.
Baxter Healthcare, B.Braun, and Medline may all have supply chain disruption and therefore could experience shortages of medications and medical devices. Challenges with unexpected increases in demand and manufacturing issues have been exacerbated by Hurricane Helene, in addition to the recent East Coast and Gulf Ports strike.
We expect these conditions will impact the California supply chain, and suppliers have started to issue communications about potential shortages. The FDA has published a medical device shortage list and has a database for tracking drug shortages.
According to a joint statement from the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and the Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals (AHVAP), it is expected that there will be significant disruptions for imported goods and raw materials related to patient care. Nearly one-third of pharmaceutical imports enter the U.S. through the Port of Charleston, South Carolina. The impact of this is a possible shortage of critical medications used for surgery and anesthesia.
To mitigate increasing shortages, and apply lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the AORN and AHVAP recommend the following immediate actions by all healthcare providers, and the CSA endorses these patient-centered recommendations:
- Conduct a thorough inventory review, prioritizing procurement of essentials as well as the use of alternative products and vendors.
- Communicate with suppliers to ensure early awareness of delays.
- Explore the possibility of resource-sharing agreements with other health organizations.
Suppliers are working closely with government agencies and state officials to assess impacts and support supply continuity. In the meantime, please consider using on-demand IV supplies with saline locks and limit waste of medications and supplies as much as possible to conserve supplies as we do not know how long this shortage will last.
We understand the concern and anxiety this may cause CSA members, and we encourage you to take the above-mentioned steps and stay informed as we continue to monitor the situation closely. CSA is concerned about the potential impact of this supply chain disruption on our patients and our members’ care of patients. We support a rapid resolution to the labor negotiations and rapid recovery efforts for the devastation from Hurricane Helene.
Please reach out to CSA if you have any questions or concerns.