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01/31/2017 BS -- PharMEDium issues

From: Berkley Sykes
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2017 9:46 AM
To: Pharmacy
Subject: PharMEDium issues

For the past 4-6 weeks, we've experienced major delays in receiving products from PharMEDium. They are working to fix the situation, but feel that it may be another 6 weeks before they are back to 100%. 

Issues:

1) It is taking up to 14-21 days to receive product instead of 3-5 days.

2) They have issued a 50% allotment of all products, except for OR syringes which will remain at 100%.

3) They are NOT going to prepare heparin products for an undisclosed period of time. 

In case you are unaware, we purchase many items from PharMEDium (OR syringes: vecuronium, rocuronium, ephedrine, morphine, neostigmine, phenylephrine, and others. Morphine and DILAUDID PCAs, oxytocin bags, phenylephrine 50 mg bags, norepi 8 mg bags, epinephrine 4 mg bags, heparin 10,000 unit flush bags - about 1400 of those each month, and more). 

The ivStation robots have started making neostigmine and ketamine syringes recently, starting oxytocin bags today, and will begin norepinephrine bags next week. I hope that that this will provide relief. 

Be aware that you may be seeing some of these products prepared by PSP or other IV areas as well as new robot drugs either mixed in or replacing the PharMEDium items. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

Thanks,

Berkley

Berkley Sykes, Pharm.D.
Pharmacy Manager - Sterile Products Services
Huntsville Hospital