North Mississippi Health Services Partnership for On-Site Drug Production to Alleviate Shortages

North Mississippi Health Services, Tupelo, Mississippi, partnered with technology company On Demand Pharmaceuticals to pilot test a platform that compounds generic sterile injectable drugs on site.

The first medication produced at the North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo by the Shortage Response Pharmacy on Demand system was lidocaine, a numbing agent that has been in short supply for more than 10 years. The drug was administered to a patient undergoing a potentially lifesaving procedure.

“As the first beta testing site in the nation, we can now produce shortage medicines ‘on the spot,’” said health system President and Chief Executive Officer Shane Spees. “This capability allows us to ensure that our patients get the right medicine, while helping us minimize the time and expense caused by shortages and associated price hikes.”

Approved by the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy, the pilot project was launched in December 2023.

Shortages of many generic medications have plagued health care systems for decades. Additionally, Spees noted that any trade interruptions with India, China, or Japan could threaten the supply chain for many more. Although active pharmaceutical ingredient shortages are possible, the ability to compound medications onsite eases concerns.

“As of this moment, there are hundreds of everyday drugs hospitals need to care for patients, from fighting simple infections to critical medications used in childbirth, that are in dangerously short supply,” said On Demand Pharmaceuticals Chief Executive Officer Rear Admiral James Hancock, MD, US Navy retired. “It is vital that we continue to develop domestic resiliency to prepare for this growing need and whatever the future may hold as access to international supply faces growing uncertainty.”

Shortage Response Pharmacy on Demand will not compound or store-controlled substances.

Reference

North Mississippi Health Services, On Demand Pharmaceuticals launch novel solution to fight drug shortages. News release. North Mississippi Health Services; January 2, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2024. https://www.djournal.com/news/health/nmhs-on-demand-pharmaceuticals-fight-drug-shortages-by-producing-medications-on-site/article_48c1575a-aa4f-11ee-b9cb-731285476e84.html