LAB MANAGEMENT :: SUPPLY FORECASTING & HANDLING


Supply limitations, now and in the future F


By Gail Castanho, MLO Managing Editor


orecasting supplies for laboratories and hospitals, post pandemic, is a complex task, involving a complicated bag of tricks. Suppliers are also gravely affected by the shortages,


always conscious of the needs of their customers. The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), within the FDA that regulates biological products for human use under applicable federal laws, identifies shortages of biologics as a threat to public safety. “CBER’s Office of Compliance and Biologics Quality (OCBQ) directs the CBER-regulated product shortage program, which includes product discontinuations. [Currently,] shortages of drugs and biologics pose a significant public health threat, delaying, and in some cases even denying, critically needed care for patients.”1 With significant challenges, due to shortages, supply fore-


casting and acquisition require laboratories and hospitals to examine a number of different categories in order to acquire necessary supplies to effectively complete the tasks at hand.


Causes of shortages The FDA is aware of the shortages, brought on by the pandemic, and explains the causes and possible other scenarios. In a January 2022 news release entitled Blood Specimen Col-


lection Tube Conservation Strategies - Letter to Health Care and Laboratory Personnel, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that it “is aware the United States is experiencing significant interruptions in the supply of several blood speci- men collection (blood draw) tubes because of an increase in


materials, new indications, decisions to discontinue the product, or natural disasters,”3


the FDA article states. Laboratories/Hospitals:


Inventory management Focusing on inventory management, storage and distribution, introduction of new products, the ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic outlook, and best practices that include future pan- demic readiness, laboratories forge ahead with the purchasing of supply inventory and assembling a stockpile of supplies, ever mindful of unexpected events and emergency situations, similar to the COVID-19 outbreak. Sarah Bower, MPA, MT (AMT), Laboratory Manager, Mary


Greeley Medical Center, in Ames, IA, when asked who, on her team, is responsible for inventory management, replied, “We have 6-7 staff in our lab who are licensed in our system to order supplies, based on KanBan principles. After an order is placed in the online ordering system, it is routed to the email of the manager or director to approve. Very high dollar amount purchases may also be approved by administration. The buyer re- sponsible for lab products then places the order


Sarah Bower, MPA, MT (AMT)


and also notifies us any time she is made aware that a supply is on backorder.”


Implementing the KanBan principles, a visual system that


manages inventory control, Bower and her laboratorians are able to diagnose the potential upcoming hardships related to the ordering of necessary supplies. A Kanban bin system for inventory management, uses two bins in your supply area to visually see when it’s time for restock. In general. When the first bin of materials or work-in-process is empty, it’s time to reorder or restock.


Storage and distribution Determining and forecasting, the PAR levels of supplies within the laboratories require the utilization of data in order to de- termine test volumes. Bower states, “The laboratory is responsible for determining


our PAR levels for lab supplies. This is done using data from our Slicer Dicer app within Epic (to determine test volumes) and also by reviewing past ordering frequencies.”


Photo by PeopleImages @ Getty images


demand during the COVID-19 public health emergency and recent vendor supply challenges. The FDA is expanding the medical device shortage list to include all blood specimen col- lection tubes.”2


In another article, CBER-Regulated Products: Possible Causes


of Shortages, the FDA introduces the possibility of additional causes for supply shortages.


“Quality problems at the manufacturing facility are the most common causes of CBER-regulated product shortages. Other causes of product shortages include increased demand, corporate delays in manufacturing or shipping, distribution disruptions, production changes, unavailability of component


34 MAY 2022 MLO-ONLINE.COM


Introduction of new products When introducing new products into the laboratories and hospitals, procedures must be followed to ensure a smooth transition for all members of the staff. According to Bower, Mary Greely Medical Center is lucky to


have a purchasing agent who worked in the laboratory, prior to her current position, with a good understanding of lab supplies. When asked about the procedure for introducing new products, Bower said, “Under normal circumstances, when a brand-new product is introduced, laboratory staff try the product and then fill out an evaluation form, prior to integrating the product. Their input is instrumental to the process.” Bower said an area where the laboratory was forced to inte-


grate new testing products and supplies involved COVID-19 testing. She stated, “This affected nursing as well as the lab.


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