Civica, a nonprofit pharmaceutical company created to prevent and mitigate drug shortages, announced today that Avera, a leading nonprofit healthcare provider in the Upper Midwest United States, has joined the company in helping protect patients from the impact of drug shortages of essential generic sterile injectable medicines.
Drug shortages are a persistent challenge to the U.S. healthcare industry. The American Society of Hospital Pharmacists reports hundreds of drugs on regular shortage, including many critical sterile injectables frequently used in urgent care settings. According to the American Hospital Association, more than 99% of hospital and health system pharmacists reported experiencing drug shortages in 2023, with 85% of respondents describing the severity of drug shortages as critically or moderately impactful. Shortages often force hospitals to expend additional resources, including staff time to find, procure, and administer alternative drugs.
“The partnership with Civica helps us better serve our patients by providing them the medicines they need at point of care,” said Thomas Johnson, Vice President of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services at Avera. “Civica offers us an additional tool to ensure stability of supply and predictability of cost for medications, allowing us to focus our time on our priority: our patients.”
Since its founding, Civica has grown its membership and expanded its product offerings. Today, nearly sixty health systems are Civica members, which includes approximately 1400 hospitals. The company currently delivers more than seventy drugs, including antibiotics, cardiovascular and pain medications used in urgent care settings, chosen by their member hospitals because they are at risk of shortage.
About Civica
Civica is a non-profit generic pharmaceutical company established to address drug shortages. It was founded by a group of U.S. health systems and philanthropies who, after more than a decade of chronic shortages, recognized that the market was not self-correcting and that a different approach is required. Civica works to deliver a safe, stable, and affordable supply of essential medicines to U.S. patients.
Media Contact
Liz Power, Vice President, Communications
Liz.power@civicarx.org
860 501 3849
Learn more at civicarx.org.
