UW-Madison School of Pharmacy producing hand sanitizer

Many hospitals are facing a shortage of hand sanitizers for hospital staff and visitors.

UW-Madison School of Pharmacy is stepping in to produce hand sanitizers for UW Health.

Ed Elder, with the UW Madison School of Pharmacy, said it was a challenge at first to obtain the ingredients: alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, glycerin, and water.

“All hospitals and healthcare centers around the world, they are trying to get the same stuff that we’re trying to get,” said Elder.

With enough product secured, the pharmacy school professors and students started mixing it together to make the hand sanitizers, ensuring the mixture adheres to World Health Organization Guidelines.

Jerame Hill, the UW Health Director of Pharmacy Supply Chain, says it’s crucial to have the products on hand.

“If it wasn’t for this we really wouldn’t have anything to protect both our patients and our employees,” Hill said. “So this is vitally important that we have this available.”

The sanitizer is also bottled at the UW Madison School of Pharmacy and then taken directly to the hospitals.

“They work all day to produce the hand sanitizer and we pick it up once a day to bring it back to the hospital to be used,” said Hill.

About 300 12 ounce bottles a day are being produced and delivered to UW Health Hospitals. Since Sunday, they have produced about 100 gallons.