Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

These matters are managed, and they're managed very effectively in the health system, as they are across a wide range of medications should there be a shortage. There are well-established mechanisms to manage these shortages, and the health minister met with his colleagues on Friday. They released a joint statement on IV fluid shortages, including the steps being taken to address supply in Australia by the national IV fluid response group as well as reassurance to the Australian public that health services are continuing. I know the TGA, as I said last week, is also managing a number of steps to ensure that we are doing everything we can to increase supply of fluids for use across our hospital and health system, and all of those steps are being done as well. Of all the systems there are, the health system manages shortage of supply of certain medications—in this case, IV fluids. They have well-established systems. They do so appropriately and so they can continue to operate the services that the Australian people expect.