More than 1000 products to be included on Victoria’s Critical Supplies Register

More than 1,000 consumables, devices and pharmaceuticals have been identified as critical to patient care as part of the Victorian Critical Supplies Register (CSR) initiative, following extensive clinical engagement.

The CSR, led by HSV with support from Safer Care Victoria and the Department of Health, was developed to address ongoing supply chain challenges that impact on the public health system, with a focus on clinical specialties that service large patient cohorts such as cardiovascular, emergency and critical care.

While it’s impossible to mitigate risk for the estimated 500,000 products supplied to health services, the CSR has identified and provided recommendations for those that are critical to patient care and safety.

HSV’s Supply Chain Surety team engaged with 80 suppliers to complete the project which included seven clinical specialties.

More than 550,000 data lines accounting for $3.7 billion in public health sector spending have been analysed.

Director Supply Chain Surety Kate Warren says the objective of the CSR is to identify and implement risk mitigation strategies that support continuity of supply for Victorian health services.

HSV has carried out supply chain risk assessments over several months and recommended several strategies including:

• Early warning reporting by suppliers
• A health service review of stock holdings for critical products
• A requirement for suppliers to increase their onshore stock holdings.

The CSR will be shared with other states and jurisdictions that wish to take a similar approach.

“If each jurisdiction takes action to mitigate the risk, it will put us in a good position to get better patient outcomes across Australia,” Kate says.