Blood Bank Case Presentation

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the US blood supply was severely impacted. Much of the fluctuation in blood donations occurred due to the closing of community donation centers and the postponement of hospital elective surgeries. All stages of the blood and blood product donation process were adversely impacted. For example, shortages of supplies and reagents, as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) created havoc in an already fragile system.

The disruption in the global, national, and regional supply chains was the main issue impacting the shortages of supplies, reagents, and PPE. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, PPE (such as disposable masks, face shields, and visors) was required for ongoing operations. Routinely used supplies (such as exam gloves, disinfectants, disposable gowns, and hand sanitizer) were also unavailable. Ordering became increasingly difficult as vendors would only commit to their "existing customers".

Group purchasing organizations, public relations campaigns, and the AABB Interorganizational Task Force on Domestic Disasters and Acts of Terrorism helped resolve the issue by lobbying for help. Through communication, vendors were convinced to prioritize shipments to blood collection facilities. Vendors/manufacturers developed a monthly allocation of their products. These actions helped alleviate the shortages.

These supply shortages could have been prevented by creating a functioning national stockpile of PPE products, reevaluating any just-in-time inventory management levels at the facility level, and developing and maintaining group purchasing organizations. Ongoing communication with vendors is important in this process. Individual facilities should also consider sourcing from more than one supplier, using a broader portfolio of domestic-based vendors.