January 19, 2021 – Premier, Inc. (Charlotte, NC) has released analysis of historic and predictive data from its supply chain forecasting technology to identify the latest supply categories at risk and assess how sourcing has fundamentally altered the economic landscape for gloves, gowns and N95s, as well as other key healthcare products.
According to Premier, shortages are shifting from the personal protective equipment (PPE) scarcities that characterized 2020 to exponential demand for the supplies that play a vital role in COVID-19 testing, diagnostics and treatment.
For vital PPE, including isolation gowns, surgical masks, N95 respirators and exam gloves, average daily usage is at an all-time high.
According to Premier data across a representative sample of health systems, since May 2020, average daily usage of sterile water has increased 350% and inventories have fallen 50 percent ─ drifting down to a median of just three days of supply on hand.
Since May 2020, hospitals’ average daily usage of pipette tips has increased more than 50%, and the volume of outstanding (open) purchase orders has tripled – from 6 to 18 days of supply on order, according to Premier data.
Other key findings include:
- Isolation gown usage has doubled from September 2020 to January 2021
- Surgical mask usage has increased 250% since June 2020
- Exam glove usage has doubled since June 2020 and now exceeds existing production capacity by 37%
- N95 respirator usage has increased 500% since July
- Nitrile exam gloves were cited in a recent Premier member survey as the no. 2 greatest challenge to care for COVID-19 patients (after clinical staffing)