The federal government has sought to assure Australians they'll have "more than enough" bags of IV fluids over the coming months, following revelations patients were having to stay in hospital recovery for longer as doctors rationed the crucial medicine.
The government has secured an additional 22 million bags of IV fluids, on the back of mounting pressure for health authorities to do more to guarantee supply of the essential drip bags.
Earlier this month, the ABC revealed patients were having to stay in hospital care units after surgery for longer, as doctors were forced to ration IV fluids amid a worldwide shortage.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the additional bags would ensure there was "more than enough to meet Australian demand over that period."
"Clearly, we needed to do something to ensure there was an additional injection of supply into the market, and we've done that," he said.
IV fluids like saline are a critical medicine used across the sector, from treating sepsis and dehydration to helping patients in intensive and post-operative care.
A response group co-ordinating the states, territories and health experts has been meeting weekly to address the shortfall and Mr Butler said that group had advised the situation was "stabilising around the country."
"Frankly the situation has been relatively variable between different jurisdictions and between the public and private sector," he said.
"But I am advised that the additional 22 million bags will ensure that Australia broadly has more bags than we need over the course of the next six months."
Higher-than-expected demand and manufacturing constraints have fuelled the global supply shortage, and doctors have questioned why Australian manufacturers have been unable to plug the gap.
American multinational Baxter produces about 75 per cent of the IV fluids Australia uses, and Mr Butler said he had toured their Western Sydney manufacturing facility this week.
"They're running flat out, they're running their lines at more than 105 per cent at the moment, trying to do everything they can to supply our hospitals and health systems with the IV fluid that we need," he said.
Doctors had been warning the critical IV fluids shortage could impact some elective surgeries, and said they had been "left in the dark" over the extent of the shortages.
However, the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) president David Story said doctors now felt "far more informed."
"We are getting a much better idea of where they may be shortages," he said.
"We're very pleased to hear the minister's announcement that more fluids have been sourced, and think that will be reassuring to frontline clinicians," he said.
Australian Medical Association (AMA) president Steve Robson said all governments had "stepped up" efforts to address the shortage.
"This should give the community every confidence that they will continue to be able to access care when they need it," he said.
Doctors still being instructed to conserve fluids
Clinical recommendations for managing the IV fluids shortage in NSW, updated last week, continue to advise clinicians to use "conservation strategies" including restricting some solutions for use in resuscitation, ICU and surgery.
They have also recommended minimising fasting in surgical patients to reduce the need for fluid replacement.
Professor Story said it was unclear when the millions of bags of IV fluids recently secured would flow through to clinicians on the front line.
"The details are yet to be released, but we look forward to hearing how quickly it adds supply," he said.
"I don't think it will be available tomorrow."
Mr Butler said different jurisdictions currently had different levels of supply.
"As I'm advised, there has not been an impact on activity to the extent of something like the cancellation of surgeries," he said.
"But I think there is generally advice going through the system that IV fluids should be used judiciously at this stage."
