IV Fluid Shortage Update
As North Carolinians continue to recover from Hurricane Helene, hospitals across the US are being impacted by an IV fluid shortage caused by the devastation to Baxter’s North Cove manufacturing site in Western NC. Baxter International is one of the largest suppliers of IV fluids in the United States, with its North Cove facility providing 60 percent of the country’s IV fluid, according to the American Hospital Association.
The plant has been closed for weeks due to the damage triggered by Hurricane Helene, which has led to hospitals implementing conservation efforts and cancelling some elective procedures to conserve critical supplies. Hospitals welcomed news from Baxter recently announced that it is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to extend the use date of some products to provide a 24-month expiration from the manufacture date without relabeling the products.
In a letter to customers, Baxter said the extended expiration date is based on Baxter’s submission to the FDA including container closure integrity data, container functional performance data, and an analysis of product weight loss profiles for those certain product codes. Please see the Baxter document that contains the full list of Baxter product codes, lot/serial numbers, labeled expiration dates, and extended expiration dates. The extended expiration dates apply only to product codes manufactured prior to Sept. 30, 2024.
In addition, Baxter announced more important updates last week:
- As previously projected, Baxter restarted a second IV solutions manufacturing line last week. Together with the line restarted the week of Oct. 28, these two lines represent – at their peak operation (prior to Hurricane Helene) – approximately 50% of the site’s total production and approximately 85% of the site’s production of one-liter IV solutions, the most commonly used size by hospitals and clinics.
- On Nov. 11, Baxter further communicated with customers that, barring any unanticipated developments, we expect to reach 100% allocation across several IV product codes by the end of the year with additional details on planned, phased increases in allocations in late November, mid-December and end of year. This update is to help support customers’ ability to plan for patient care, and is based on 1) the current and projected status of the North Cove remediation efforts, 2) expectations regarding the ability to reallocate capacity from other Baxter facilities, and 3) temporary importation on certain products.
Allocation adjustments will be communicated to customers ahead of the expected effective dates.
Resources for U.S. Healthcare Professionals and Customers
• Conservation and Medical Information Resources
• Please reach out to your Baxter representative or distributor for questions regarding supply.
• For customers who need additional assistance beyond their existing Baxter communications channels, please contact HurricaneHeleneSupport@baxter.com
For the latest information and updates, visit Baxter.com.