Spectrum Health joins nonprofit consortium seeking to make generic meds

Originally published by MiBiz

Spectrum Health was among a dozen members to join a consortium of health systems across the nation that plan to produce their own generic medications to address a shortage.

The new founding members bring 250 more hospitals into the Salt Lake City, Utah-based Civica Rx, which seven large health systems formed last year. The consortium also includes Livonia-based Trinity Health, which owns Mercy Health Saint Mary’s in Grand Rapids and Mercy Health Muskegon.

The Grand Raids-based Spectrum Health has 15 hospitals across West Michigan.

“Spectrum Health’s purpose is to provide exceptionally high quality and affordable care and coverage in the most effective manner,” Spectrum Health President and CEO Tina Freese Decker said in a statement. “We are excited to join with Civica Rx and other health systems to improve mission-critical drug availability at lower prices, thus reducing the total cost of care.”

Civica Rx could begin producing 14 hospital-administered generic drugs this year, either directly or through a contract manufacturer.

With the additional members, about 750 the number of hospitals are now involved in the nonprofit Civica, “with many more health systems expressing interest,” according to an announcement on the new members.

“We are thrilled to welcome these highly-regarded health systems to Civica as founding members,” Civica Rx CEO Martin VanTrieste stated. “Drug shortages have become a national crisis where patient treatments and surgeries are canceled, delayed or suboptimal. We thank these organizations for joining us to make essential generic medicines accessible and affordable in hospitals across the country.”