In the aftermath of two recent hurricanes, ACEP wrote the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to address concerns about the medical supply chain disruption, drug shortages and patient safety.
ACEP called on the agencies to:
- Declare a national public health emergency (PHE)
- Consider working with the Administration to invoke the Defense Production Act to expand the production and supply of materials and services needed to produce sterile IV solutions and containers.
- Work with the Administration to appoint a specific person or office as the main point of contact for facilitating cross-agency and cross-divisional coordination to address drug shortages and prepare for future supply chain interruption.
- Continue monitoring marketplace activity, intervene, and take appropriate preventative measures to curtail price gouging and market manipulation.
- Use all available authorities to allow for use of sterile IV and peritoneal dialysis solutions beyond their expiration date, as appropriate.
“It is clear that our health care system and medical supply chain is ill-prepared to respond to major disasters,” the letter states. “This exemplifies the need to develop a more proactive approach to preventing and responding to supply chain disruptions.”
As you take every step to conserve IV solutions, ACEP is asking for federal actions to alleviate shortages and help make sure you can continue to prioritize patient safety and the highest quality care.
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