Letter to Health Care Leaders and Stakeholders on Impacts of Hurricane Helene from Secretary Becerra

Dear Partner:

Thank you for your work on behalf of individuals and communities around this country every day. As the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) continues responding to the impacts of Hurricane Helene, I want to first acknowledge the loss of life and continued search and rescue mission underway in the Southeast. HHS has over 400 personnel on the ground, and that number continues to grow. In addition to our responders supporting the impacted communities, I want to assure you that the Department is working tirelessly to mitigate the sterile solutions supply chain disruptions you may already be experiencing as a result of the storm. The U.S. Government (USG) has been working with Baxter at the highest level from the day the storm hit North Carolina, first to ensure Baxter employees and their families are safe. Since then, we have been in constant communication with Baxter and other solutions manufacturers to address gaps in supplies. My Department commits to mitigating the impact of Hurricane Helene and doing all we can to prevent further disruption as a result of Hurricane Milton. Not only do we commit to doing all we can during this supply chain disruption, but we also commit to doing all we can to diversify and build resilience in this supply chain going forward.

This is the status of the current supply chain disruption.

The impacts of Hurricane Helene have led to the temporary supply disruption at the Baxter facility in Marion, North Carolina. The Baxter facility provides a significant portion of IV solutions, irrigation fluids, and peritoneal solutions to the U.S. medical system. There are currently shortages of normal saline IV fluids, normal saline irrigation fluid, sterile water irrigation, and dextrose 5% IV fluids that pre-date Hurricane Helene. The hurricane-related supply disruption at the Baxter facility will likely lead to further constraints for IV fluids. However, compounding of drugs on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) shortage list can be done in accordance with current requirements to help alleviate shortages [see Compounding when Drugs are on FDA’s Drug Shortages List | FDA]. In the coming weeks, supply may continue to be constrained, and we understand that certain products are on allocation; however, Baxter reported that they have resumed shipments to hospitals and dialysis providers and patients after the temporary hold last week, based on allocations as previously communicated. The inventory will be used to support current allocations in the short term, and they note that several of their global plants are scaling and ramping production to help meet U.S. needs.  Other producers are expected to be able to continue to fulfill domestic orders within their allocation.

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