June 14, 2024- The FDA is alerting healthcare providers to brace for a busy hurricane season that may disrupt supply chain operations. The FDA is encouraging medical device stakeholders to engage in preparation activities to minimize potential disruptions to patient care. Effective preparations can help ensure that critical supplies continue to be delivered in a timely and efficient manner. The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to November 30, is expected to be worse than the previous year’s season, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
For health care providers and systems, manufacturers, and distributors, here are some best practices to consider while preparing for hurricane season: Healthcare providers should work with leading distributors to ensure constant communication about potential shortages or delivery issues, medical device manufacturers are advised to identify which regions are susceptible to severe weather-caused disruptions, identify critical suppliers and sterilization factories that could be hit by natural events, consider shipping finished products to other facilities before a forecasted hurricane, and safeguard for continuity of business operations, and distributors should bulk up inventory in warehouses and facilities in areas most susceptible to severe weather. The FDA also recommends these companies strategize how to communicate with customers during a severe weather event.