Premier's ProvideGx program has partnered with Hikma Pharmaceuticals, a London-based drugmaker, to supply two drugs used to treat COVID-19 patients to hospitals across the country.
Through the partnership, ProvideGx will supply hospitals with amiodarone and sterile water. Amiodarone is used to manage late-onset cardiac arrest and ventricular arrhythmia, two common complications associated with hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Sterile water is used to reconstitute many injectable drugs, including remdesivir, which has been shown to shorten recovery time for COVID-19 patients.
Amiodarone isn't on the FDA's shortage list, but Premier's purchasing data shows it is heavily backordered, with just 55 percent of orders being fulfilled due to a dramatic spike in demand during the first quarter of 2020. Premier said it is able to use its ProvideGx program, which includes 1,600 hospitals in the U.S., to look at historic purchasing trends and make predictions about drugs that may be vulnerable to shortages.
Sterile water is on the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists' shortage list.
"When it comes to the COVID-19 response, we can’t afford to delay action until drugs roll onto the FDA shortage list," said Premier President Michael Alkire. "By that time, patient care is already compromised."
Read the full news release here.