tal knee replacement.
"I provided the patient
with longer-lasting pain
relief with fewer risks and
potential side effects," says
Dr. Durick. "The short sup-
ply of bupivacaine forced
me to find a better alterna-
tive."
4. Buy from multiple
suppliers.
Dr. Durick
suggests diversifying your
medication supply options,
especially if you work in a
smaller surgery center, by
working with 2 to 3 whole-
salers. That way, you're not
left in the lurch if one of the wholesalers decides to send limited sup-
plies of in-demand medication to larger facilities with more purchas-
ing power.
You might also consider working with Civica Rx (civicarx.org), a
fledging non-profit organization in Lehi, Utah, that's partnering with
pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare facilities to ensure
essential generic medications in short supply are regularly available
and affordable. Civica Rx currently has relationships with manufactur-
ers of vancomycin and daptomycin, and recently announced it will
soon coordinate the production of 14 injectable medications (the spe-
cific agents were not announced by press time).
Dr. Fox, who holds a volunteer position on the company's board of
A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 7
• NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY It's a good idea to develop strong working rela-
tionships with your medication supply reps, who can let you know if a batch of
sought-after medications is about to become available.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
