VALUE. DELIVERED.


Addressing supply shortages with standard identifi ers


by Karen Conway, Vice President, Healthcare Value, GHX U


sing standard device identifiers can deliver multiple benefi ts, from touchless orders to more accurate clinical supply documentation. ut what about addressing the


supply shortages that continue to plague hospitals Standard identifi ers, in combination with classifi cation codes and descrip- tions, can help healthcare delivery organiations fi nd acceptable alternatives in the event of shortages, while more widespread use across healthcare can also help ensure products are where they are needed most. n this months column, we will eplore what is possible if a single health system, or even the entire country, used standard product identifi ers like S lobal rade tem umbers (s) to identify products. he  is one of the codes compliant with the U.S. s


U rule, which requires manufacturers to assign a unique device identifi er (U-) to their products at each packaging level. or eample, the same product packaged in a bo of  would have one U-, while the same product packaged in a case of  boes of  each would have a different U- (illustrated in igure  as the different last digit in the device identifi er column and in the UOM column).


How creating a cross-reference table supports addressing vendor backorders igure  is a cross-reference table (simplifi ed for demonstration purposes) that shows how a hospital could fi nd alternative ven- dors or products using s as the U-. ets say your hospital normally buys a mask manufactured by


cme Medical from Smith istribution. f Smith istribution is not able to supply the mask, you could use the  in the fi rst column to determine that another vendor, ll Products istribu- tion, sells the eact same mask, packaged either as a bo of  each, or as a case of  boes of  each. he similar numbers in red represent a company prefi  associated with the manufacturer in the S system. ut what if cme Medical cannot supply the masks to either distributor n this case, your hospital could use the combination


FIGURE 1: Sample Cross Reference List Device Identifi er Manufacturer Vendor Noun Type Mask Face


012345XXXXX221 Acme Medical Smith Distribution


012345XXXXX221 Acme Medical All Product Distribution


012345XXXXX222 Acme Medical All Product Distribution


054321XXXXX331 Jones Medical Smith Distribution


054321XXXXX441 Jones Medical Jones Medical


054321XXXXX442 Jones Medical All Product Distribution


Mask Face Mask Face Mask Face


of the USPSC classifi cation code (grouping similar products) and the description to fi nd a suitable substitute, this time made by a different manufacturer but sold by your usual vendor, Smith istribution. he different company prefi  represents the differ- ent manufacturer. ow, lets consider what happens when you are not able to procure a product, this time a respirator, directly from the manu- facturer. y looking at the last two rows in igure , your hospital determines that the same product (but at a different packaging level) is sold via distribution from ll Products. ote the device identifi er has the same company prefi  but a different last digit in the device identifi er column and the different UOM.


Using standard identifi ers to address widespread shortages igure  depicts the potential value to a single, multi-hospital system, as well to the nation as a whole, in the event of widespread shortages like we eperienced with personal protective equipment (PPE) early in the pandemic. uring those shortages, every hos- pital system reported their PPE inventory levels and burn rates. f a health system uses U-s across hospitals, it could see the respective inventory and consumption levels, both for the same product and ones that it has deemed acceptable substitutes, and as such, could move product to where the need is greatest. ow consider if all hospitals not only used U-s in those reports, but also all of healthcare, including the Strategic ational Stockpile (SS) and both PPE manufacturers and distributors. n this case, we would have had a much better understanding of where the need was greatest as the pandemic hit different parts of the country harder at different times. urther, with use of the lobal Medical evice omenclature (M), a code based on regulatory approval based on use and available in the s lobal U atabase, the SS could determine functional equivalency in emergency situations. s such, we would have had much better data with which to prioritie deliveries to support needs-based allocation.


Description


MASK FACE ACME EARLOOP


MASK FACE ACME EARLOOP


MASK FACE ACME EARLOOP


MASK FACE TIE LATEX FREE BLUE


Mask Respirator MASK RESPIRATOR CONE LATEX FREE MIST


Mask Respirator MASK RESPIRATOR CONE LATEX FREE MIST


UOM UNSPSC Commodity


Box of 12 each 42131713 Surgical isolation or surgical masks


Box of 12 each 42131713 Surgical isolation or surgical masks


Case of 6 boxes of 12 each


42131713 Surgical isolation or surgical masks


Box of 24 each 42131713 Surgical isolation or surgical masks


Box of 18 each 46182002 Respirators


Package of 48 each


46182002 Respirators


42 December 2021 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • hpnonline.com


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