Vizient Inc. announced it is again expanding the product portfolio for its Novaplus Enhanced Supply Program.
The program is adding six additional essential medications and two types of thermometers, bringing additional inventory to the healthcare supply chain and improving access for providers.
Vizient launched the Novaplus Enhanced Supply Program in January 2020 to directly address drug shortages and improve supply chain resiliency for essential medications. Due to the pandemic, the program has expanded to also include personal protective equipment (PPE) and other essential medical supplies that providers need right now to fight COVID-19 as well as when they face natural disasters or other causes of unexpected surge in demand or supply chain disruption.
The six new essential medications are adenosine, bumetanide, ceftazidime, levetiracetam, nitroprusside and tranexamic acid. “These new additions bring the total number of essential medications in the program to 37 and have resulted in an additional 66 million vials of onshore inventory being added to the overall health care supply chain,” said Mittal Sutaria, PharmD, vice president, contracting and program services, pharmacy for Vizient.
Vizient also added infrared and single-use “rapid read” digital stick thermometers from EKLA Corporation, a U.S. based woman and minority-owned business, to the Novaplus Enhanced Supply Program. “Demand for these products by Vizient member hospitals has increased significantly due to COVID-19 and the need for quick, no-touch temperature screenings. This agreement will bring 2 million infrared and four million digital stick thermometers to the healthcare supply chain,” said David Gillan, senior vice president, sourcing operations for Vizient.
The thermometers are in addition to eight types of high-demand PPE currently in the program such as disposable and reusable gowns, caps and shoe covers.
