The American Hospital Association continues to report on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and monitor updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). First identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, the virus has spread globally with more than 6,000 associated deaths.
AHRMM is engaged with numerous health care leaders, associations, and regulatory agencies in an effort to keep our members up-to-date on the latest activities surrounding COVID-19. We are working very closely with Strategic Marketplace Initiative (SMI), Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA) and Institute for Supply Management as well as AHA professional membership groups to support health care supply chain’s preparation and response to COVID-19. A few items to note in light of this public health concern:
- Blood supplies were tight prior to the outbreak. Supply chain professionals should work closely with their clinical and laboratory staff in the conservation and management of blood products post outbreak. Review AABB's Tips for Hospitals – Extending the Blood Supply.
- Review and implement CDC recommended guidance for the extended use and limited reuse of N95 filtering face piece respirators in health care setting.
- Strategic National Stockpile is the nation’s largest supply of potentially life-saving pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for use in a public health emergency severe enough to cause local supplies to run out. For further questions or information about the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), email sns.ops@cdc.gov.
- Those who also oversee environmental services should review the Association for the Health Care Environment’s (AHE) COVID-19 advisory.
- Review the EPAs approved list of disinfectants that meet EPA’s criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19.
- On March 2, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for emergency use of all disposable filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Only through ongoing collaboration and communication efforts with your suppliers and other resources, understanding product shortages and allocations you may be facing or expect to face, and identifying and implementing conservation measures can we hope to minimize supply disruptions and ensure uninterrupted patient care.
AHRMM Connect is the ideal place to pose questions or update other health care supply chain professionals on how your organization is handling this threat.