October 27, 2020 – Premier Inc. (Charlotte, NC), through its ProvideGx program, has partnered with Baxter Healthcare (Deerfield, IL) to supply pre-filled, single-use IV bags of dexmedetomidine hydrochloride to healthcare providers, a medication needed to care for some of the most acute cases of COVID-19.
Dexmedetomidine is a sedative that can be used with initially intubated and mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care setting as well as with non-intubated patients prior to and/or during surgical procedures, Premier said.
The drug has been on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) drug shortage list since April 2020, when large numbers of COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals and received mechanical ventilation.
According to Premier data, demand for dexmedetomidine during that period increased more than 360% when compared to the same period in 2019, and providers typically only received about 62% of what they ordered.
The financial terms of Premier’s agreement with Baxter Healthcare were not disclosed.