Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals have found many types of equipment and supplies hard to obtain. Demand is simply greater than suppliers can keep up with, and many critical products are on backorder or subject to limited allocations. Many hospitals have significant orders pending that they are unable to get filled. Consider another way to get what you need.
Try placing a smaller order. Particularly with the challenges of the pandemic, suppliers are trying hard to fulfill the needs of as many hospitals as possible. It’s easier for them to fill smaller orders and they often have the ability to expedite these lower quantity orders as quickly as overnight.
One community hospital recently learned this when trying to navigate a national shortage of fetal scalp electrodes. They had been waiting for weeks for their regular order to be filled, and were on the verge of running out. They learned that if they requested an ‘emergency allocation’ and placed a new order for just a single case, it could be approved and shipped immediately to arrive overnight to prevent them from running out. While ordering less may not always be possible, it is one possible source of a short-term solution until you can get your full order fulfilled.
