October 21, 2024- B. Braun Medical Inc. provided an update on the company’s efforts to secure supplies of critical IV fluids in response to Hurricane Milton and damage caused by Hurricane Helene to a large IV fluids manufacturing plant in North Carolina.
B. Braun’s IV solutions manufacturing plant and distribution center in Daytona Beach, Florida were not seriously impacted by Hurricane Milton and resumed operations as planned on October 11. To safeguard the supply of finished products from the distribution center, B. Braun worked closely with the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to leverage their resources to move 60 truckloads containing 70,000 cases of IV solutions to a secure facility north of Florida. The entire operation was completed on Tuesday, October 8. Now that the storm has passed, the product is being returned to B. Braun’s distribution site in Daytona Beach.
Steps being taken by B. Braun to increase the supply of IV fluids and medical devices needed for patient care include:
- Ramping up production at B. Braun’s IV fluids manufacturing facilities in Irvine, CA and Daytona Beach, FL. In the coming weeks, production levels at those facilities are expected to increase by 20 percent.
- Increasing production of tubing, valves, connectors and other devices needed for infusion therapy at B. Braun’s manufacturing plant in Allentown, PA. The increase will boost the annual number of IV sets B. Braun delivers to healthcare providers by more than 30 million.
In addition, B. Braun is encouraging all healthcare providers across the country to conserve IV fluids using the newly updated ASHP suggestions for managing IV fluid shortages and is working with federal government officials to identify and authorize the use of IV fluids from B. Braun facilities outside the U.S.