Hurricane disrupts single source medical supply mfg facility

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Just a moment... (https://www.axios.com/2024/10/01/hurricane-helene-iv-fluid-shortage-health-supply-chain)

Hopefully, they can find replacement mfg soon and not drawdown inventories such that medical surgeries and other medical procedures are delayed. .

Not weather mongering, just updating on how the effects of Hurricane Helene may effect us and you

[Altavia]

Something similar happened in 2017 after Hurricane Maria’s impact on Puerto Rican drug manufacturing facilities.

FDA works to help relieve the IV fluid shortages in wake of Hurricane Maria | FDA (https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-works-help-relieve-iv-fluid-shortages-wake-hurricane-maria)

The market in general won't bear the added cost of geography redundant facilities. There is this risk across many industries.

Puerto Rico's Power Outages Have Led To Medicine Shortages On Mainland, Too : Shots - Health News : NPR (https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/11/15/564203110/hurricane-damage-to-manufacturers-in-puerto-rico-affects-mainland-hospitals-too)

[Pugchief]

People in charge learned nothing from the experience during the pandemic. Between Helene and the longshoreman strike, it's prob going to be as bad if not worse. Better stock up while you can, esp on necessary meds.

The US needs to bring drug manufacturing back stateside. Critical.

[Bill14564]

People in charge learned nothing from the experience during the pandemic. Between Helene and the longshoreman strike, it's prob going to be as bad if not worse. Better stock up while you can, esp on necessary meds.

The US needs to bring drug manufacturing back stateside. Critical.

??? Are you not aware that Marion, NC *is* "stateside?" Or is there another potential shortage you are referring to?

[Snakster66]

It’s not so much a question of alternate facilities (Baxter has many), it’s a question of capacity and ramping up production at other facilities. Then of course supply chain to get the production at alternate facilities where they need to go. And can the capacity of increased production at alternate facilities meet the need. They can not just create a new manufacturing facility. A LOT of qualification and validation needs to occur to get a new (novel) mfg site approved for any particular product (same with trying to get a product not normally manufactured at an existing manufacturing facility). Whether that be small molecule tablet/capsule or IV fluids or biologics. This is definitely going to cause some pain for a while and I’m sure several depts at Baxter are losing their mind trying to figure it all out. The regulatory folks are probably having daily conversations with FDA and the quality folks probably haven’t slept in a week.

[Altavia]

People in charge learned nothing from the experience during the pandemic. Between Helene and the longshoreman strike, it's prob going to be as bad if not worse. Better stock up while you can, esp on necessary meds.

The US needs to bring drug manufacturing back stateside. Critical.

Probably...

The facility mentioned is in NC and I would not be surprised if that facility were brought online after the Puerto Hurricane.

[Pugchief]

??? Are you not aware that Marion, NC *is* "stateside?" Or is there another potential shortage you are referring to?

NC is part of the USA? Wow, who knew? :rolleyes:

The OP's linked article says Baxter's North Cove manufacturing site in Marion, North Carolina, is located in one of the areas hardest hit by the storm. It primarily makes intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions.

Meanwhile, a substantial amount of the pharmaceuticals that require a prescription are manufactured in China. Does that not concern you? What could possibly go wrong?

[dewilson58]

There are other manufacturing sites in the USA who can pick up the capacity.

Plus...................there are international providers.

:sigh:

[Bill14564]

NC is part of the USA? Wow, who knew? :rolleyes:

The OP's linked article says Baxter's North Cove manufacturing site in Marion, North Carolina, is located in one of the areas hardest hit by the storm. It primarily makes intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions.

Meanwhile, a substantial amount of the pharmaceuticals that require a prescription are manufactured in China. Does that not concern you? What could possibly go wrong?

Please read the post I was responding to, what I wrote applies to that.

What could go wrong? Perhaps a typhoon. A loss of 13% would be felt but hopefully the rest of the supply chain could pick that up. Nowhere near the top of my worry list.

[asianthree]

Something similar happened in 2017 after Hurricane Maria’s impact on Puerto Rican drug manufacturing facilities.

FDA works to help relieve the IV fluid shortages in wake of Hurricane Maria | FDA (https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-works-help-relieve-iv-fluid-shortages-wake-hurricane-maria)

The market in general won't bear the added cost of geography redundant facilities. There is this risk across many industries.

Puerto Rico's Power Outages Have Led To Medicine Shortages On Mainland, Too : Shots - Health News : NPR (https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/11/15/564203110/hurricane-damage-to-manufacturers-in-puerto-rico-affects-mainland-hospitals-too)

The 2017 IV shortage from Hurricane Maria was of the damage to the machines that produced plastic IV bags, that was basically the one of a few who manufactured the product. It definite wake up call for all medical facilities, to change dramatically. No longer hanging a bag of fluids on every pre-op patient, across the US. For awhile some elective surgeries put on hold.

Returning to the old ways of making your own pediatric IVs from a large ML bag. Yep, it was time-consuming, you always knew how much waste was thrown away every day, but that was the accepted way of practice.
Cost wise, it was cheaper by 50% or more by using larger bags, then tossing out 1/2 of the bag or more.

[Pugchief]

There are other manufacturing sites in the USA who can pick up the capacity.

Plus...................there are international providers.

:sigh:

Please read the post I was responding to, what I wrote applies to that.

What could go wrong? Perhaps a typhoon. A loss of 13% would be felt but hopefully the rest of the supply chain could pick that up. Nowhere near the top of my worry list.

You guys both completely missed my point. I have no idea what statement you think I made you are responding to.

Not sure what a typhoon has to do with anything, and no, there is no US manufacturing capacity to pick up the slack of prescription drugs manufactured in China.

I was trying to point out that supply chains from overseas, China in particular, were adversely affected by Covid, and nothing was done to improve that situation in the 3 years after. Which is a big failure in leadership IMO.

[Bill14564]

You guys both completely missed my point. I have no idea what statement you think I made you are responding to.

Not sure what a typhoon has to do with anything, and no, there is no US manufacturing capacity to pick up the slack of prescription drugs manufactured in China.

I was trying to point out that supply chains from overseas, China in particular, were adversely affected by Covid, and nothing was done to improve that situation in the 3 years after. Which is a big failure in leadership IMO.

You want more production stateside in case of a hurricane. The NC facility *is* stateside which is precisely why it was affected by the hurricane. At that point I’m not sure what you want.

You ask what could possibly happen with the production coming from China. I suppose a typhoon could happen, just as a hurricane happened this time.

You are concerned about the volume coming from China. It turns out that volume is about 13% of us pharm imports. Not an insignificant volume but less than half of what is currently produced in the US.

A worldwide pandemic would likely affect production, well, worldwide. Not sure what mitigation you are looking for. 100% production in the US? Who will pay for that? What will happen then when a hurricane takes out a double digit percentage of production?

Possibly, just possibly, leadership has consulted knowledgeable advisors and has taken reasonable steps already.

Edit: Not to mention that we still run under a free market system and production is by private companies that make their own decision. Unless you are proposing that the govt. take over pharmaceutical production…

[Pugchief]

You want more production stateside in case of a hurricane. The NC facility *is* stateside which is precisely why it was affected by the hurricane. At that point I’m not sure what you want. No, I want 100% of prescription drugs to be made in the US. We can't rely on other nations for something so critical, especially other nations who are "enemies". Hurricanes are irrelevant to this point. Any one of a hundred reasons could disrupt medicine reaching the pharmacies.

You ask what could possibly happen with the production coming from China. I suppose a typhoon could happen, just as a hurricane happened this time.Why do we need a natural disaster? Maybe China just gets upset with us and decides to stop sending supplies. I'm much more concerned about geopolitical problems than typhoons.

You are concerned about the volume coming from China. It turns out that volume is about 13% of us pharm imports. Not an insignificant volume but less than half of what is currently produced in the US. Yes, I am. Any amount is too much. This link explains my concerns pretty well. (https://moguldom.com/426252/fact-check-90-percent-of-pharmaceutical-products-are-manufactured-in-china/https://moguldom.com/426252/fact-check-90-percent-of-pharmaceutical-products-are-manufactured-in-china/)

A worldwide pandemic would likely affect production, well, worldwide. Not sure what mitigation you are looking for. 100% production in the US? Yes, if possible.
Who will pay for that? If you're saying that producing here would increase costs, then everyone. Again, too important to rely on China. My opinion. Reasonable people can disagree.
What will happen then when a hurricane takes out a double digit percentage of production?


Possibly, just possibly, leadership has consulted knowledgeable advisors and has taken reasonable steps already. Possibly. Or not. Do you have any source of information claiming steps were taken?

Edit: Not to mention that we still run under a free market system and production is by private companies that make their own decision. True and agree.

Unless you are proposing that the govt. take over pharmaceutical production…
Heck no. Private sector always better than public sector meddling.
....

[Topspinmo]

I find ironic there pill for every ailment but cure for none.