Australia is experiencing a national shortage of intravenous fluids, resulting in the federal government taking control of co-ordinating and distributing the medical supplies for the first time.

IV fluids have a host of medical uses, including preventing or treating in sick and injured people and those undergoing surgery.

They are also used in primary care, kidney dialysis units and home cancer care, among other areas.

What has caused the shortage?

Three suppliers, Baxter Healthcare, B.Braun and Fresenius Kabi, are currently experiencing shortages, according to the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

“The shortages are due to multiple factors, including global supply limitations, unexpected increases in demand, and manufacturing issues. To improve supply, we have approved multiple overseas-registered alternative saline fluids,” it said.

“Suppliers have advised us that supply will continue to be constrained throughout 2024.”

How important is IV?

The TGA said that “IV fluids are essential medicines used in hospitals for routine and critical care”.

“They are crucial for fluid replacement, resuscitation and administering other medications directly into the bloodstream,” it said.

“We continue to collaborate with jurisdiction health departments, and suppliers of Australian-registered IV fluid products to monitor the situation and address any regulatory barriers to supply.”

Depending on the patient’s ailment, IV fluids contain mixtures of electrolytes, water, salt, sugars and vitamins.

Health workers are trying to find workarounds, but Royal Australasian College of Physicians president Jennifer Martin said it wasn’t a long-term solution as Australia is reliant on overseas medical suppliers.

“The current situation is safe [but] it’s not ideal, it is causing a lot of extra work,” she said.

Australia felt supply issues more than other countries, she said.

“We actually import over 90 per cent of our medications from predominantly China and India, we don’t manufacture much in Australia,” Martin said.

“We have a generic industry that’s pretty small, but essentially it means that we’re really at the behest of the global community because we’re sort of at the bottom of the supply chain.”

What is the impact?

Royal Australia College of General Practitioners acting vice-president Dr Ramya Raman said rural and regional areas were of particular concern.

“In rural and remote areas, there would be more procedures that they are doing, and the general practice may be the only port of medical access for patients in that area,” she said to the RACGP’s newsletter.

“In general practice, the answer is yes, we do use it, but the circumstances do vary depending on the situation and the location of the practice.”

Rural hospitals are most at risk of being affected by the shortage. Photo: Getty

Australian Medical Association president Steve Robson said last week imminent shortages flagged by local health authorities were yet to be experienced but could have huge implications across the health sector.

“The health system potentially could come to a grinding halt … if intravenous fluid isn’t available,” Robson said.

He said he would not perform planned surgeries if fluids were not available, and warned the supply shortage was “unprecedented”.

“That would affect every surgeon, every anaesthetist and every patient awaiting surgery in the country. That has potentially bigger implications than the COVID restrictions,” he said.

“It would affect anaesthesia, surgery, chemotherapy, emergency departments, managing people with acute infectious illness in hospital … [and] paediatric intensive care.”

Some hospitals have told staff to use supplies carefully and warned that some non-urgent surgeries may be cancelled, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Patients have also had to stay in hospital longer as healthcare services ration supply.

How long will it last?

State and federal health ministers said last week that shortages are expected to last the rest of this year.

“Ministers outlined the steps being taken to address supply in Australia and sought to provide reassurance to all Australians that supply challenges are being addressed and that health services are continuing,” they said in a statement.

“This response group will continue to meet on a weekly basis, or more frequently if required, while supply remains constrained in Australia.”

Other countries have experienced shortages of similar supplies, according to the RACGP.