SHPA’s COVID concerns

PLANS for the return of elective surgeries will put hospital pharmacies under severe pressure, the Society of Hospital Pharmacies of Australia (SHPA) warns.

Outlining the results of the first weekly COVID-19 Hospital Pharmacy Capacity Snapshot survey, SHPA CEO, Kristen Michaels, said hospitals’ orders for medicines needed to support ventilated beds were not being met.

Michaels said access to key medications including propofol and cisatracurium, has emerged as a factor that could hamper Australia’s capacity to treat a surge in COVID-19 cases.

“Propofol is a key medicine used in the intubation of patients who require ventilation,” she said.

“In our snapshot on Fri 17 Apr hospital respondents only had enough propofol to treat patients in less than half the hospital beds they have been asked to set up.

“Just as Australia was asked to come together and increase ventilated intensive care capacity, SHPA has been working with partners to ensure we have enough medicines to provide care for Australians receiving care in these hospital beds.

“Hospitals have reported not having their orders filled for several weeks, with 80% of orders only supplied in part, regardless of hospital size, location or patient cohort, highlighting a supply chain in distress.”

Michaels said the findings suggested the health system would struggle to cope in the event of a surge of COVID cases alongside the return of elective surgeries.

“Stocks of these drugs are a tightly guarded secret nationwide and hospitals are poorly informed as to what stock they should expect to receive in coming weeks and months.

“Hospitals are implementing the national response to COVID-19 – including doubling their intensive care beds in many cases, which requires an increase in medicines to be operationalised – only to have commercial wholesalers and manufacturers unable to provide access to key medicines.’

“We appreciate medicine wholesalers may have the best intentions, but they are not clinicians and do not have access to the information about pandemic scenarios and hospital service planning and delivery that must guide medicine orders.”

Michaels said ensuring patients have access to the medications required for ventilation if needed.