IV fluid shortage could last for weeks, HHS says

The federal government says that hospitals and health systems can expect a shortage of IV fluids to continue for weeks.

Xavier Becerra, the U.S. Health & Human Services Secretary, says shortages of IV fluids could persist for weeks. Becerra says the government is working to alleviate shortages.

U.S. Health & Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra sent a letter to healthcare leaders Wednesday about the supply chain impacts from Hurricane Helene on Wednesday, just a day before Hurricane Milton is expected to strike Florida.

• Read more: Hospitals and more than 300 other health facilities evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton

Helene has disrupted supplies of IV fluids for health systems nationwide, due to the flooding of a critical plant in western North Carolina. Baxter International’s plant in Marion, N.C. produces the majority of IV fluids used in the U.S., and the plant is offline.

“I want to assure you that the Department is working tirelessly to mitigate the sterile solutions supply chain disruptions you may already be experiencing as a result of the storm,” Becerra wrote in the letter.

“In the coming weeks, supply may continue to be constrained, and we understand that certain products are on allocation,” he added.

Hospitals are already beginning conservation measures to preserve IV supplies, and some are postponing non-emergency surgeries.

The Food and Drug Administration has listed some IV products that have seen shortages for some time, but the agency says the shortages could be exacerbated until Baxter’s plant is back online.

Baxter says the company is working to boost production at other facilities. The company said Wednesday that it is increasing allocations of IV fluids in highest demand.

Baxter said it aims to reopen its North Carolina plan in phases but it may not approach normal production for some time. The company said Wednesday it hopes to “return to 90% to 100% allocation of certain IV solution product codes by the end of 2024.”

The Baxter plant produces about 60% of the IV solutions used every day in the United States, or about 1.5 million bags, according to the American Hospital Association.

In the letter to healthcare leaders, Becerra wrote that the government is working with Baxter and other manufacturers to alleviate the shortage.

“Not only do we commit to doing all we can during this supply chain disruption, but we also commit to doing all we can to diversify and build resilience in this supply chain going forward,” Becerra wrote.

The health department is urging hospitals and health systems to conserve supplies of IV solutions, even if they aren’t seeing any disruptions yet.

• Read more: North Carolina hospitals struggle after Helene’s devastation

Milton may add to problems

Becerra also said the department is working to “prevent further disruption as a result of Hurricane Milton.”

The health secretary acknowledged the prospect of Hurricane Milton creating more problems. The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response “has identified the possibility of Hurricane Milton further disrupting an already fragile market,” Becerra wrote.

“ASPR is currently pre-deploying assets to prepare broadly for the impacts of Hurricane Milton and working to move product away from the projected path of this next potentially catastrophic storm,” he wrote.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, has pressed the health department to ensure hospitals and health systems can get more IV solutions. Two health systems in Minnesota, Allina and M Health Fairview, are delaying some surgeries to conserve IV supplies.

Klobuchar also warned that another plant in Daytona Beach, Florida, a key producer of IV solutions, could be at risk from Hurricane Milton, and disruptions in that plant would worsen the shortage.

“To address the potentially life-threatening shortage of IV solutions, I urge the Department of Health and Human Services to use all of its available authority to mitigate this devastating situation which threatens patient care, the work of medical and provider staff, and our emergency response readiness,” Klobuchar wrote.

The senator also asked the health department to work with federal authorities “to prevent the distribution of counterfeit IV solutions.”

The American Hospital Association sent a letter to President Biden Monday asking the government to take steps to obtain more supplies and approve other measures to help health systems.

Hospitals are pressing President Biden’s administration to declare a national public health emergency that would allow for waivers of Medicare and Medicaid regulations. The hospital association has also asked the White House to invoke the Defense Production Act to spur manufacturers to produce more IV solutions and containers.

Seeking more resilience

Hospitals and healthcare providers are accustomed to shortages of medical supplies, and they’ve seen shortages of cancer drugs, bottles for blood cultures, and contrast dye for imaging in the past two years.

Healthcare leaders have called for greater resilience in the supply chain to reduce the chances of disruptions when one plant has production delays.

Premier Inc., a healthcare improvement and group purchasing firm that works with more than 4,000 hospitals, has been pushing for more production of medical supplies domestically and in countries closer to the U.S. Last week, Premier sent a letter to members of Congress in response to a request for information from Republican lawmakers.

“Ideally, Premier recommends that there be at least three global suppliers of the final form, ancillary products and raw materials for critical medical supplies – with at least one supplier being domestic,” Premier wrote. “This diverse and balanced approach is not just a better contingency plan for emergencies, but it also recognizes the need for global sourcing to keep costs in check and help alleviate U.S. national security concerns.”

In August 2024, Premier released the results of a survey of healthcare providers and suppliers, and most said they expected more problems in the supply chain. Nearly 80% of providers and 84% of suppliers said healthcare supply challengers will get worse or remain the same, up from 75% in 2023.