Baxter’s Response
Shortly after Hurricane Maria hit, Baxter issued a reassuring press release which said, in part:
“Baxter remains focused on helping ensure patients have continued access to the products and therapies they need. In Puerto Rico, Baxter manufactures products used across the hospital setting, from premixed injectables to products used in the delivery of medications. The medications made in Puerto Rico are small volume parenterals, such as 50mL and 100mL presentations (brand names Mini-Bag and Mini-Bag +). These products are used primarily in the pharmacy to compound or admix a medication or to aid in the delivery of medication. Baxter is working closely with customers and has taken proactive steps to responsibly manage inventory distribution as its Puerto Rico operations continue to ramp up production.”
“Baxter has activated a global response to support recovery from the devastating impact of the natural disasters in Puerto Rico. In advance of the hurricanes, Baxter implemented a hurricane preparedness plan to help mitigate potential impact, including proactively moving some finished product off the island and into secure storage. Baxter is also delivering products to customers on the island to help address patient need. Additionally, Baxter has been working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has recently been granted regulatory discretion for temporary special importation of certain products from Baxter facilities in Ireland and Australia to help support product supply for the U.S. market. While these actions will help mitigate some of the projected shortfall in supply, they will not be adequate to fully bridge the gap in the near term. Baxter will continue to do everything it can to ramp up production in Puerto Rico in the weeks ahead and, with the support of special importation granting from FDA, continue to utilize its other facilities to help address product demand in the United States.”
Two Easy Ways to Make Saline
In the meantime, if anyone needs to make saline, here is a handy website which shows how to make your own saline.
