Frustrated By Glove Shortages?

Talk with your distributor about alternatives and conservation strategies

To anyone involved in the medical products supply chain, the news report

late last year that a truckload of 6 million medical gloves had been stolen in Florida came as no surprise. Gloves – in particular nitrile gloves – are in short supply and what used to be considered a low-cost commodity is now viewed as one of the most valuable types of personal protection equipment (PPE).

Healthcare providers who are experiencing glove shortages are not alone. In October, 40% of hospital customers surveyed by Premier said they were experiencing glove shortages.

As with all PPE, orders for gloves have skyrocketed due to rapidly rising global demand and the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, glove shortages are likely to continue well into 2021. It is estimated that global demand for gloves will top 585 billion units in 2021, yet the total manufacturing capacity of glovemakers is only 370 billion units, a 37% shortfall.

While glove manufacturers are working to increase capacity, it can take up to a year to build a new production line capable of producing 10 billion nitrile gloves annually. Even with added capacity, the tremendous increase in glove demand has created a shortage of nitrile butadiene rubber, the raw material used in nitrile gloves. The lead time for building processing plants to turn nitrile butadiene rubber into usable material is an even longer 18 months.

In light of these challenges, what should healthcare providers facing nitrile glove shortages do?

First, ask your distributor to identify alternatives. Distributors are working every day to find safe, obtainable substitute products to fill demand.

Importantly, manufacturers are dedicating more production lines to latex gloves, the raw materials for which are easier to obtain. While many providers favor nitrile gloves as they are less likely to cause an allergic reaction, innovations in latex-based glove production during the last 15 years have led to much-improved gloves. Your distributor can help you find the best substitutes.

Second, adopt conscientious conservation strategies, as recommended by the CDC. Recognize that non-sterile gloves can be used for handling hazardous substances like blood and body fluids. While some manufacturers provide expiration dates for non-sterile gloves, this is not required by the FDA and the gloves are safe for use beyond their expiration date. Gloves can also be used more than once if alcohol-based hand sanitizer or a thorough wash with soap and water is used to sanitize them before moving to the next patient.

Supplies are tight – and are likely to remain so well into 2021. As the shortage persists, the internet has been flooded with unscruplous brokers and inexperienced novice operators who claim they can fill the gap. But remember, everyone is competing in the same global market from the same manufacturers who are experiencing the same raw material shortages. Rely on the distributor you trust to get the medical-grade equipment you need from legitimate sources.