Tampa, Florida– [September 8, 2022] –Angels for Change has announced the next ten essential medicines to be protected from shortage by Project PROTECT. The news comes on National Essential Medicine Shortage Awareness Day, observed on September 8, which is an opportunity to raise awareness of shortages of our most essential medicines.
Angels for Change believes that patients must have equal access to these essential medicines. We can create a future where every patient has access to the essential medicines they need. Expanding Project PROTECT is one way Angels for Change will achieve this goal.
The goal of Project PROTECT is to partner with the pharmaceutical supply chain to protect essential medicines vulnerable to drug shortage. The project aims to bolster the supply chain by increasing production of vulnerable medicine during times of shortage. Angels for Change has partnered with United States Pharmacopeia’s (USP) Medicine Supply Map to predict and target the most shortage vulnerable essential medicines.
“USP’s Medicine Supply Map is an early-warning system for possible drug shortages. We are pleased to collaborate in helping Angels for Change identify essential medicines to proactively protect their supply.” says Vimala Raghavendran, Senior Director, USP Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Center.
Once the vulnerable medicines are selected, Angels for Change will award grants to manufacturers who are willing to take on the proactive work necessary to be ready to supply patients should a shortage arise. This will create a more redundant and more resilient supply chain for all patients.
Each grant is designed to reduce a manufacturer’s barriers to entry, facilitating added capacity and supply of essential medicines vulnerable to shortage. Earlier this year, Angels for Change awarded their first grant to STAQ Pharma to protect Potassium Chloride (KCl) and 23.4% Sodium Chloride (NaCl). Since April, this partnership has resulted in more than 250,000 life-saving treatments administered. Complete information about this project was released in July through a Case Study: A New Approach to Mitigate Drug Shortages.
“We were pleased to see the immediate impact this project created for our hospitals. Children’s hospitals have been able to provide needed life-saving electrolyte therapies during a time of urgent shortage. The net new supply has enabled our hospitals to ensure uninterrupted care for vulnerable patients,” said Terri Wilson, of the Children’s Hospital Association.
With the success of Project PROTECT’s first grant, Angels for Change is launching a full program that will include the following ten essential medicines vulnerable to shortage.
The list of essential medicines include:
Bumetanide Injection
Calcium Chloride
Dextrose 70%
Fat Emulsions
Furosemide Injection
Leucovorin Calcium Injection
Levetiracetam Injection
Magnesium
Potassium Acetate
Sodium Phosphate
“Since our founding, Angels for Change has been ending drug shortages for our most vulnerable patients. We are advocating for, and supporting, proactive, public-private partnerships at the beginning of the supply chain to create more resiliency. Our supply chain must be ready to supply essential medicines to patients when and where they are needed. 250,000 treatments administered! What would the last few months have looked like for patients if we didn’t launch project PROTECT? We must do more and there is no time to waste,” said Laura Bray, founder and Chief Change Maker at Angels for Change.
Interested in protecting patients from shortage? Contact us at communications@angelsforchange.org or Donate today at www.angelsforchange.org.
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About Angels for Change
Angels for Change is a volunteer supported, global, 501c3 organization started in Tampa, FL on a mission to end drug shortages through advocacy, awareness, and a resilient supply chain. Founder, Laura Bray, was driven to start Angels for Change after her own child faced 3 life-saving drug shortages in 9 months of pediatric cancer treatment. Each day Angels for Change advocates on behalf of any patient in a life-saving drug shortage, while building relationships with patients and members of the pharmaceutical supply chain to end all healthcare crises created by drug shortages. www.angelsforchange.org
About National Essential Medicine Shortage Awareness Day
When Americans go to the hospital, visit a doctor, or require an ambulance, they should be able to receive the medicine that is vital to treating their health conditions. But that’s not the reality in the U.S. today, due to shortages of our most essential medicines. More resources and information designed to amplify this needed conversation can be found at www.stoptheshortages.com.