Joseph Walker and Peter Loftus of The Wall Street Journal report that Baxter, America’s largest producer of intravenous fluids, has told Mass General Brigham and other hospital systems it will ration shipments until its North Carolina plant is back in business after Hurricane Helene. They write:
The U.S.’s largest maker of intravenous fluids will slash shipments to hospitals after Hurricane Helene took down one of its manufacturing plants in North Carolina.
Baxter sent letters to hospitals telling them that future shipments of IV fluids would be about 40% of what they normally receive after the storm flooded its facility in Marion, N.C., Dr. Paul Biddinger, chief preparedness and continuity officer at Mass General Brigham in Boston said during a conference call Thursday.
Mass General Brigham, a prestigious hospital system, said it is continuing to treat patients normally, but is conserving its fluid supplies. […]
The Food and Drug Administration said it is working with Baxter and could expedite its review of manufacturing lines at the plant when they are cleaned and restored. The agency also said it would work with other Baxter locations, and other suppliers, to increase supplies of the solutions.
The duration of the shortages could depend on how extensively damaged the plant is, said Premier’s Saha. If the flooding affects the plant’s ability to meet FDA standards for sterility and stability, it typically takes 90 days to receive FDA recertification.
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