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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Carolyn Hickey
Phone: 703-243-9262

Arlington, VA (March 3, 2003) -The Health Industry Group Purchasing Association (HIGPA), the Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM), and the Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA), released results of a landmark, cooperative project on health care supply formulary for disaster readiness. The three groups created health care medical/surgical supply formularies in response to the ongoing issue of readiness for large-scale chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CRBNE) or natural disaster events.

The supply formularies are based on information from multiple hospitals and health care systems. Intended as benchmarks for supply preparedness, the formularies can be customized to fit the needs of each hospital and community by working with internal staff and suppliers.

"The unique position of group purchasing organizations (GPOs) allows them to communicate directly with hospitals and other health care providers to facilitate the planning and coordination of supplies in the event of a 'large scale' public health tragedy," said HIGPA President and CEO Robert Betz, Ph.D. "We are honored to be a part of this important and unprecedented initiative to serve patients who will ultimately be impacted in the event of such disasters."

"Health care institutions face the challenge of having enough critical supplies, balanced with keeping supplies fresh, working with suppliers to obtain the necessary items on an as needed basis, and having the right supplies on-hand for each specific type of CBRNE," explained Al Cook, AHRMM co-chair of the Disaster Readiness Task Force. "This formulary shows the real value of working together in supply chain management in a voluntary, collaborative effort."

"This tool can be used by all distributors to plan for emergencies and to work with their customers for the purpose of serving their supply needs," says Matt Rowan, HIDA CEO and President. "These formularies were developed through true collaboration within the medical supply chain, and they will enable hospitals, purchasers, and distributors to deliver the best quality care and supplies for the treatment of patients." The formularies focus on adult and pediatric patient needs and provide a targeted supply formulary for each of the CBRNE events. It should be noted that the formularies do not cover radiology or pharmacy but those departments should have input and involvement in the planning process and make amendments to these formularies at the hospital level.

About HIDA
The Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA) is the international trade association representing medical products distributors. Since 1902, HIDA has provided leadership in the healthcare distribution industry. From education programs and benchmarking studies to business tools and resources, HIDA ensures that members have the business and industry information they need to perform profitably in today's complex healthcare supply chain.

About AHRMM
The Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management is the leading national association for executives in the healthcare resource and materials management profession. A personal membership group of the American Hospital Association, the AHRMM serves more than 3,000 active members. Founded in 1962, AHRMM prepares its members to contribute to the field and advance the profession through networking, education, recognition, and advocacy. See www.ahrmm.org for more information.

HIGPA is a chartered trade association of approximately 170 health care purchasing and supply chain organizations. HIGPA's Industry Members include purchasing groups, associations, and health care provider alliances. HIGPA's Trading Partner members include many of the world's leading health care product manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and related suppliers. According to a recent study conducted by a former principal analyst at the Congressional Budget Office, hospitals save patients over $30 billion each year by purchasing products through group contracts.

To learn more about HIGPA or the group purchasing industry, visit www.higpa.org or call 703-243-9262.

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