Supply Chain

Managing supplies is a crucial part of moving medical products from the manufacturer to patient’s bedside. Efficient supply chains can reduce healthcare costs and make medical devices more affordable for patients and health systems. This news page includes content on supply shortages, inventory management, and procurement practices.

Thumbnail

Data can make the difference in cutting waste from the supply chain

When Indiana’s Goshen Health decided to de-affiliate from Indiana University Health in 2016, it knew its supply costs were going to increase for its 122-bed hospital, cancer center and 27 physician practice locations, according to chief financial officer Amy Floria. That meant waste in the supply chain had to be cut out—like the 80 percent of hospital supplies which had sat untouched on a shelf for two years.

Group purchasing cuts costs, optimizes supply chain

A report from the Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA) said the group purchasing organizations (GPOs) it represents help cut supply chain costs by an average of 15 percent and reduce drug spending by 25 percent.

Mylan CEO blames ‘opaque’ pharma supply chain, pricing for EpiPen hikes

Members of Congress don’t believe Mylan CEO Heather Bresch’s claim that the company makes only $50 profit per EpiPen, an autoinjector for allergic reactions which has shot up 400 percent in price since Mylan started selling it.

Thumbnail

13 things HHS wants doctors and patients to know about Zika

As local Zika transmissions continue to pop up in the U.S., HHS is ramping up efforts to combat the virus through awareness of its symptoms, its effects and how to stop its spread. Various agencies under the HHS umbrella held a Twitter Q&A surrounding these topics Aug. 30 using the hashtag #AtoZika. 

Texas' maternal mortality rate explodes among overall U.S. increase

Based on new and re-analyzed data, it seems that maternal mortality rates jumped up almost 27 percent between 2000 and 2014 in the U.S, according to a new study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. That trend moved opposite to the trend of declining maternal mortality rates in the rest of the world and was directly opposed to the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of a 75 percent reduction in maternal mortality by 2015. It means the U.S. has one of the worst maternal mortality rates among developed countries. 

Exposure to microbes, like those in Amish homes, could protect against asthma

Traditional farming lifestyles, such as those held by the Amish in the U.S., can mitigate asthma and allergy risk factors, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine. 

Study: A third of pediatric hospital readmissions could be prevented

Hospital readmission rates are often used as indicators of the institutions’ effectiveness and getting and keeping patients healthy. It turns out, 30 percent of those short-term readmissions for children could be avoided, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics. 

Around the web

The American College of Cardiology has sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that outlines some of the organization’s central priorities and concerns. 

One product is being pulled from the market, and the other is receiving updated instructions for use.

If the Trump administration continues taking a laissez-faire stance toward AI—including AI used in healthcare—why not let the states go it alone on regulating the technology?