Hurricane Helene-related IV supply shortages have left parenteral nutrition-dependent patients in limbo, according to an Oct. 18 report from KFF Health News.
Here are seven things to know:
- Two weeks after Helene destroyed the Baxter factory in North Carolina that produced 60% of the fluid needed for parenteral nutrition, CVS announced it was closing its Coram infusion pharmacy division.
- CVS on Oct. 8 began telling its parenteral nutrition patients they would need to find a new infusion pharmacy, according to a news release provided to KFF Health News.
- Parenteral nutrition patients are unable to digest food and rely on IV supplies to provide nutritional fluid via catheter. There are approximately 25,000 patients who depend on parenteral nutrition in the U.S.
- Manpreet Mundi, MD, an endocrinologist at Rochester, Minn.-based told KFF Health News that patients can "fall ill within a day or two" without access to parenteral nutrition. Seven or eight Mayo Clinic patients were unable to be discharged because they could not find an infusion company to accept them, Dr. Mundi said.
- The FDA is allowing U.S. compounding pharmacies to produce some of the fluids in addition to allowing emergency imports.
- The FDA on Oct. 9 said it would allow Baxter to import emergency supplies from Canada, China, Ireland and the U.K. The military is also flying in supplies from Baxter plants overseas. Baxter is currently prioritizing hospital patients over home infusion companies, the KFF Health News report said.
- President Joe Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act, allowing the government to prioritize rebuilding the Baxter plant.