**Update 5.18.20** This blog was originally published in October of 2019, while the shortage is still underway, PHS has been able to transition many of our patients from Joey and ePump bags to infinity bags. If you are a PHS patient and are unsure of the plan for your feeding supplies, please contact our customer service team (800-225-7477) to ensure we have a plan in place that provides you with continued access to feeding supplies. For all other patients, we recommend you work with your DME provider to come up with a plan given the limitations in access to Kangaroo™ Joey and ePump bags into the foreseeable future.
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PHS has been helping patients deal with an issue regarding the distribution of Kangaroo Joey and ePump feeding bags. In a letter from Cardinal Health, manufacturer of these products, they shared that Kangaroo Joey and ePump feeding bags are currently available in limited quantities and PHS expects to receive a small number of feeding bags each month.
You can read a letter we received from Cardinal Health below:
You can watch a video we have since received from Cardinal Health below:
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To ensure we can serve as many patients as possible during this shortage, PHS must temporarily limit the Kangaroo Joey and ePump feeding bags you can order to four each month. During this period, please follow the directions below to clean and reuse the feeding bag. Call PHS if you are unable to reuse a feeding bag. You can also find these instructions in PDF format here.
*Note: To extend life of feeding bag, do not remove bag from pump between feedings. Store pump and attached bag in refrigerator.
Why are the Kangaroo Joey Pump Set with Flush bag on backorder? You show this item as a rolling backorder but not why they are. Unless the company that makes the bags Covidien is no longer in business. Recently this excuse “Item Is On Backorder” is the government trying to control distribution.
Thank you for the question, Elizabeth. We have updated the blog to reflect that this was a past issue. The information was originally posted back in October. Thankfully we are no longer experiencing a shortage in bags. While the shortage is over, you can feel free to still use these tips in order to save on medical supply use. Have a great day!
I cannot get the feed out of the small tube – HELP!!!
Hello Linda, please reach out directly to your DME company to troubleshoot any issues you’re experiencing with your feeding supplies. Thank you!
Hi, I currently work for a medical provider of nutrition tube feeding and my company is being told that the major shortage is still going on and that Cardinal health is running extremely behind. Where are you getting your information from. Thank you
Hello Russell, Thank you for the questions. We apologize for the confusion the original note in the blog caused. We have updated the blog to better reflect the global impact and the solution we have in place. PHS has been able to mitigate concerns for many of our patient families by transitioning to a different feeding bag.
The shortage is NOT over!
Just ask the Veteran’s Hospitals. They have run out in the last 2 weeks and are still backpedaling.
Hi David, we understand the shortage is still causing challenges for patients. I’d encourage you to work with your DME provider and come up with a plan that ensures you have access to the needed supplies. While I can’t speak to your specific situation, we’ve had success transitioning patients to a different type of bag. That could be a helpful conversation to have with your provider. Best of luck!
What other type of bags are you speaking of. I know of the 1000ml Joey and EJoey and 500ml Joey and EJoey and also the 500 and 1000ml Joey and EJoey Feed and Flush bags. These are all on manufacture back order with Cardinal. Cardinal is running at a 63% production rate right now. You can’t tell patients that the back order is almost over when it is not.
Hi Russell, please see our reply to your other comment to address the bag/pump switch.
While transitioning to the Infinity is a fantastic idea, patients that are on the dual feed and flush bags will not be able to transition due to infinity does not have the flush option on their pump. What are you going to suggest to your patients then?
There are some cases when a pump switch would be more difficult to be made. In these cases, we understand if families do not want to change to an Infinity pump and would rather continue to order the feeding bags that work with the Kangaroo Joey pump. We will do our best to meet quantity requests. However, we may have difficulty keeping them in stock. If we run out of the bags, we will continue to do our best to obtain as many bags as we can. That being said, we suggest families plan for a continued backorder and reuse as many bags as they can. That is not the reality for all patients, but some can manage that. If you have questions on how to reuse your bags, please contact your PHS clinician or your DME provider. They will be able to help walk you through it.
What type of bag? I need bags, flush and feed 1000ml that will work with a kangaroo joey pump. There are many others in the same boat. Thanks for your help.
There are some cases when a pump switch would be more difficult to be made. In these cases, we understand if families do not want to change to an Infinity pump and would rather continue to order the feeding bags that work with the Kangaroo Joey pump. We will do our best to meet quantity requests. However, we may have difficulty keeping them in stock. If we run out of the bags, we will continue to do our best to obtain as many bags as we can. That being said, we suggest families plan for a continued backorder and reuse as many bags as they can. That is not the reality for all patients, but some can manage that. If you have questions on how to reuse your bags, please contact your PHS clinician or your DME provider. They will be able to help walk you through it.
I would also like to know why there continues to be a shortage of the bags. It appears that you need a new manufacturer .. a new distributor … a new contract. If the manufacturer, distributor .. maker of the bags — appears to be unable to fulfill a contract agreement, then that contract should be null and void. This sounds like a good opportunity for some other company. You need to find another company rather than creating more work for the patients and their families. Also, washing the bags is not sanitary. Also, these bags are expensive. Someone is making a lot of money from these products — private insurance — Medicare — Medicaid — etc. … need to step in and find out what’s going on.#
Is there references to use on the safety of reusing the bags and for how many days?
I work for a nursing home and we are still having trouble in July getting the epump bags and are being told January. We don’t have enough to make it till January! Is there another pump that will have feeding bag and flush bag? Or even spike bag and flush?
Ty
Hi Denise, thanks for reaching out with your question. Our team of PHS clinicians has had a lot of success with the Infinity pump and bags. We would recommend reaching out to your DME provider to see if that is something they offer and could help you to make the transition.
The infinity system is not a viable option for us & we are unable to obtain more bags at this time. Please provide us with step by step recommendations on how to properly clean the kangaroo bags/ tubing so that they may be reused. Also, please advise for how many days we can safely reuse the bags if cleaned properly. Thank you.
Hi Sara, please see the steps in the above blog for our recommended process for cleaning and extending the life of the bags and tubes. Each individual’s needs and use differ so rather than provide a guideline for how many days of use is appropriate, we advise you to replace the feeding bag if it looks dirty after thorough cleaning or if it no longer works with the food pump.
why do we have to put pump and feeding bag in the fridge after cleaning it?
Hi Hazel, thank you for reaching out. We recommend you place the pump and feeding bag in the refrigerator after cleaning to prevent any remaining formula particles from growing bacteria and causing foodborne illness. We hope this helps!
Hello, could you tell me the difference between item number 773662 and 763662? Are they interchangeable? Is there any bag that you can substitute for model number 773662? Thank you
Hi KJ, I’m so sorry for the delay in response. We will follow up with our clinical team and get back to you ASAP.
Hello, when is the expected date for supply of Joey bags ref #773662?
I feel this is totally unacceptable. That a company would prolong a shortage.
What is the reason for shortage anyway? Please you have to know how desperate
We all are these needing nutrition are our loved ones so precious to us.
Please respond even privately if you chose to do so.
Thanks so much
Hi Loraine, we are following up with the manufacturer to see if they have any updates on the timeline. We completely understand the challenge and wish there was a way we could access the product to send to patients. We will follow up when we have more information.
Hi Loraine,
The most recent information we have received from Cardinal Health, who manufactures the Kangaroo enteral products, is that the new manufacturing lines required to support additional production of Kangaroo™ Enteral Feeding sets for the Kangaroo™ ePump and Kangaroo™ Joey Enteral Feeding pumps have arrived at their manufacturing facility and are undergoing installation and testing to ensure that it delivers the same quality Kangaroo™ Brand Products that you’re used to. They expect these new machines to begin producing additional Kangaroo™ Enteral Feeding pump sets very soon.
They are also relaying that they continue to produce and ship feeding pump sets on a daily basis. While the shortage of Cardinal Health™ Kangaroo™ ePump and Kangaroo™ Joey pump sets was originally the result of the demand being higher than the amount we could produce, we are now experiencing additional unprecedented demand due to COVID-19.
We continue to stay as up to date as possible on the shortage and any changes that impact our patients because we know what an impact this has on our patients, their families, and the enteral feeding community. In the meantime, they are also sharing updates and communicating with the community at this website, where you can sign up to receive any updates.
Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions. Thank you!
It’s seems crazy to put the entire pump in the fridge since condensate could damage the electronics. Why not just disconnect and put the bags in the fridge? Other home health services are not making the same recommendation about refrigerating the whole pump – nor do they advise filling a bag with water while the bag connected to a battery and electrically powered pump, as shown in your video. This advice seems reckless and dangerous.
Hello!
Thanks for your question. Our team has suggested this because when the tubing is removed from the pump, it often gets overstretched and the pump will display various alarms when placed back into the pump. In order to get the bag to work as long as possible, we try to avoid overstretching the tubing, which lengthens the life of the bag. This is also why the bag is rinsed with the bag still attached to the pump. We do not recommend keeping the power cord plugged into an outlet during this process. Families should take care to put the pump in a safe location when rinsing the bag to avoid fluid spills on the pump, including unplugging it from a power source.
How long do you leave the pump and bag in refrigerator?
Hi Elizabeth, Thanks for the question. The pump and feeding bag only need to be stored in the refrigerator until the next feeding (when not in use). This storage method helps prevent any harmful bacterial growth that may occur if any bits of formula is remaining in the bag or tubing.
I am an employed physician of a hospital system, one that is fortunate enough to have a House Calls program. My mother-in-law recently died, leaving a moderate amount of supplies behind. I detest the waste in American medicine and am trying to make use of the excess. My question is this: would tubing labeled “Kangaroo Epump Set” also be usable for gravity feedings? The bag for the tubing also says “Anti-free Flow” (so I’m guessing maybe not)? Thank you so much
I’m sorry for your loss, Mary. I believe the Kangaroo E Pump set is referring to a feeding bag, which if that is correct it is used for pump feedings and would not work for gravity feedings. I hope that helps!
I have about 9 cases of joey 773662 feeding bags I need to sell. Is this a place where i can do that?
I’m sorry, Amy. We cannot buy back any unused feeding bags.
Do you still have the Joey feeding bags?
Hi Beth, we do have Joey feeding bags. Use the contact us page (https://www.pediatrichomeservice.com/contact-us/) to find the location closest to you and give our customer service team a call.
Help! My client tries to reuse the feeding bags, but can’t them to prime anything through the line 100% of the time. Tubing looks to be clear except in the valve. How can we clear the valve?
Great question! Cleaning the feeding bag by rinsing hot water and then cold water is a great way to keep the tubing and valve clear. The feeding bag should be cleaned between each feeding. In addition, the feeding bag should be stored in the refrigerator in-between uses.
If you are still having problems, please reach out to your DME provider and they will be able to help you. Have a great day!
Why does the pump go in the fridge? Can I disconnect the cleaned bag and put only it into the fridge?
Hi Tim, Yes! You can disconnect the clean feeding bag and only put that in the refrigerator. The pump does not need to be stored in the refrigerator.
Hello, i have several of the gravity feeding bags but i need to use the enternal bags. Is there any way i can trade the gravity ones for the ones i need? They are still sealed in the package. Thank you!
Hi Melissa, hopefully this question has already been resolved for you. Please feel free to reach out directly to your DME company with any future issues. Have a wonderful day!
My husband is on a 24/7 enteral feed. Must I rinse and flush the bag while still attached to the pump?
Hi Anna, please reach out directly to your primary care provider or DME company to troubleshoot any issues you’re experiencing with the feeding supplies. Thank you and have a great day!