The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is encouraging its members to write to their elected officials, asking them to support broader use of the U.S. Defense Production Act to acquire PPE. “Without proper PPE, we are asking healthcare professionals to care for patients at the risk of their own health and the health of their families,” said APIC’s letter to Congress members.
This N95 respirator adheres to the face with a thin strip of skin-friendly adhesive. This is an example of an alternative N95 respirator. Image courtesy of Avery Dennison Medical.
While much more needs to be done, there has been progress. As of this writing in June 2020, Project 95, a national nonprofit PPE clearinghouse, reported there was an immediate need for more than 2.5 million PPE units across the United States. This demand is much lower than it was in March and April, when Connecticut alone needed over 2 million PPE units. But it still is a problem to have any shortages of something so critical.
Healthcare institutions, distributors, group purchasing organizations, PPE manufacturers and materials suppliers are all taking a fresh view of their supply chains. They are asking the important questions, including:
• How robust is my PPE supply chain? Does my organization have secondary PPE sources? Do my suppliers have secondary sources?
• What are the lead times for different types of PPE? What are the lead times for raw materials required to make PPE?
• Do my PPE suppliers have U.S.-based manufacturing capacity in case of global supply chain disruptions?
• Do new PPE suppliers hold all of the necessary regulatory approvals and certifications? Have they successfully completed product testing?
• What is the security of my PPE supply? What assurances and controls do PPE suppliers have in place to protect against fraud, such as counterfeit and poor-quality PPE?
• Can my suppliers provide documentation to prove N95 respirators are certified by NIOSH?
• Have the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued reports of PPE fraud or quality problems affecting my supply chain?
• Do my PPE suppliers and their suppliers comply with Current Good Manufacturing Practices? Are their facilities registered with the FDA? Are they certified under standard 13485 of the International Organization for Standardization? Are they certified under the Medical Device Single Audit Program?
In conclusion, the healthcare industry has an opportunity to apply lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis to improve both PPE user experience and supply stability. The rewards for doing so include greater safety and overall satisfaction for healthcare providers and the patients they serve.
About the Author: Deepak Prakash is senior director, global marketing, Avery Dennison Medical. He can be reached at deepak.prakash@averydennison.com.
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