HEALTH Minister Mark Butler has announced a $20 million government investment in increased local production of IV fluids in a move designed to end Australia's reliance on the product from overseas.
Under the plan to expand Baxter Healthcare's production facility in Western Sydney - the only local manufacturer of IV fluid - manufacturing capacity is projected to expand by one third to 80 million units a year from 2027.
Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) has welcomed the announcement, with president Tom Simpson pointing out that IV fluids are used every day by a number of specialty practitioners embedded in care teams, in and around Australian hospitals.
"IV fluids are essential to acute pharmacy care to administer life-saving medicines, and are utilised every day by specialty pharmacists across compounding services, critical care, emergency medicine, haematology and oncology, and infectious diseases, just to name a few," Simpson said.
"Our members working in dispensing and distribution have spent the last few years managing medicine shortages and in recent months, the IV fluid shortages for their hospital and health services, having to make tough decisions on how to conserve stock to maintain safe and quality care for all patients."
Simpson thanked AdPha members across the various specialty practice groups who had spoken up on the issue.
AdPha is the only pharmacy body represented on the National IV Fluid Response Group.
"This investment to shore up supply of essential IV fluids is an important step forward in the coordinated and interdisciplinary effort to mitigate medicines shortages, a top priority of AdPha's advocacy," Simpson said, adding that there is more to do ensure medicine shortages are managed well and patients kept informed. KB
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