Majority say shortages are affecting patient care, resulting in
increased costs and cancelled or delayed surgical procedures
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
A new survey of Premier members revealed more than 96 percent of member
health systems are experiencing moderate-to-severe shortages of
injectable narcotic medications, a problem that has grown over the last
two months due to a manufacturing stoppage by the largest producer of
these products.
This shortage is having a particularly severe ripple effect in the
market because of the complex nature of the drugs involved. Narcotics,
including those in shortage, are subject to an allocation system imposed
by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), which caps the amount of raw
material that can be used by any manufacturer in a given year. Despite
the shortage and manufacturing delays that are expected to persist well
into the second quarter of 2019, the DEA has not shifted those caps to
allow other manufacturers to begin producing shortage injectable
narcotic products.
“Premier is intensely focused on reducing and managing drug shortages
overall,” said Mike Alkire, Chief Operating Officer of Premier Inc.
“But, we are extremely concerned about this particular situation. We
know manufacturers are ready to step in and increase production, but
they are unable to do so without approval from the DEA. We understand
and support the DEA’s goal to be judicious about the production of
narcotics, but we believe we are in the midst of a public health crisis.
A temporary reallocation of supply quotas would allow others to step
into the void, potentially addressing a multi-year shortage in a matter
of months. The DEA has authority to make this adjustment today, and we
urge them to take action.”
Without change from the DEA, more than 57 percent of Premier members
report that the injectable narcotics shortage has affected patient care,
including delayed or cancelled surgeries and/or decreased patient
satisfaction with delivered care. In addition, nearly 86 percent of
survey respondents said the ongoing shortage was contributing to
increased costs because the health system was forced to source more
expensive products for pain management (89 percent of respondents),
self-compound products and/or divide vials (77 percent), outsource
compounding to a third-party provider (62 percent) and/or revise order
sets (60 percent).
Injectable narcotic drugs, such as morphine, fentanyl and hydromorphone,
are used in a variety of inpatient hospital procedures, including
surgical sedation and post-operative pain management. These critical
medications are also used within intensive care units for trauma, burn
or oncology patients.
“Premier is a leader in helping to stem the tide of opioid addiction
ravaging the country, so we understand the DEA’s concern about increased
production. But these are not orally administered pills. They are very
specific injectable products used over a short period of time, primarily
in the acute-care setting,” added Alkire. “The DEA should appreciate the
security and care followed by providers and other participants in the
healthcare supply chain when storing, handling and administering these
medications.”
The survey on the shortage of injectable narcotic medications was
fielded from March 6-15, among members of Premier’s National Pharmacy
Committee, Premier’s Pharmacy Contracting and Pharmacy Affairs
Subcommittees and Acurity members. It reflects responses from 116 health
systems across the nation.
About Premier Inc.
Premier Inc. (NASDAQ: PINC) is a leading healthcare improvement company,
uniting an alliance of approximately 3,900 U.S. hospitals and health
systems and approximately 150,000 other providers and organizations.
With integrated data and analytics, collaboratives, supply chain
solutions, and advisory and other services, Premier enables better care
and outcomes at a lower cost. Premier, a Malcolm Baldrige National
Quality Award recipient, plays a critical role in the rapidly evolving
healthcare industry, collaborating with members to co-develop long-term
innovations that reinvent and improve the way care is delivered to
patients nationwide. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Premier is
passionate about transforming American healthcare. Please visit
Premier’s news and investor sites on www.premierinc.com,
as well as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and Premier’s
blog for more information about the company.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180315005957/en/
Source: Premier Inc.