The Baxter International Inc. North Cove facility in Marion, NC was impacted by heavy rain and flooding associated with Hurricane Helene. Storm and flood damage has resulted in the closure of the manufacturing plan that primarily manufactures intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions.
Baxter is a major U.S. manufacturer of these products and reportedly produces 1.5 million units of IV solutions daily, accounting for approximately 60 percent of the domestic United States production.
As a result of the North Cove plant closure, Baxter has announced reduced supply allocations for its clients based on ordering history from March-August 2024.
As of October 7, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not declared a shortage of IV solutions because of the Baxter facility shutdown. The FDA and Baxter are however, strongly encouraging providers to assess existing IV solution product inventory, monitor usage rates, and explore a range of conservation strategies to preserve supplies in the current environment.
The following links share information on conservation methods, impacted supplies, and mitigation efforts by the FDA, CDC, Baxter, and VDH. Please check this page for status updates.
Clinician letter regarding Baxter Manufacturing closure (October 21, 2024)
CDC HAN #518 (October 12, 2024)
Clinician letter regarding Baxter Manufacturing closure (October 8, 2024)
Functional equivalent report for Baxter items