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01/12/2018

Associations Sound Alarm About IV Bag Shortage

The shortage stems from the months-long power outages faced by Puerto Rico

The impacts of Hurricane Maria are still being felt far and wide, and outside of Puerto Rico, the medical field may be facing the toughest challenges—including a shortage of IV bags filled with essential liquids used in treating patients.

Baxter International, a major manufacturer of saline and nutrient bags, is based in Puerto Rico and was severely affected by the storm. The company’s factories were only reconnected to the power grid in late December, three months after Maria made landfall on the island, according to FiercePharma. That means that production of the essential liquids is just starting to get back to normal.

The American Hospital Association first raised concerns in November in a letter to the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and AHA and other medical groups are continuing to sound the alarm.

Please click here to read the complete article from Associations Now.

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