Supply shortages also impacting non-COVID-19 lab testing
Skip to main content
MDHC_Logotype_white
Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • This Week's News
    • COVID-19
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition
    • Michigan to begin vaccinating homeless people for COVID-19
      Workers worry about safety, stress as states ease mask rules
      Highlights of the $1.9T COVID bill nearing final passage
      By the Numbers: Insurers owing largest MLR rebates
    • Michigan to begin vaccinating homeless people for COVID-19
      Workers worry about safety, stress as states ease mask rules
      Highlights of the $1.9T COVID bill nearing final passage
      Artist Gus Moran begins his chalk art piece Feb. 28 at the Disneyland Resort Vaccine Super Site POD.
      City of Hope commissions street art to spread positive messages
    • Shareholder group calls out HCA for alleged excessive emergency department admissions
      Metrologo 600x400_i.jpg
      MetroHealth forms Center for Cancer Research
      The Check Up: Dr. Marc Boom
      The Check Up: Dr. Marc Boom of Houston Methodist
      Dr. Marc Boom
      Q&A: Houston Methodist CEO praises staff efforts to keep vaccine efforts going during ice storm
    • A younger woman provider helping an older woman on a tablet.
      Insurers set sights on growth in Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care
      By the Numbers: Insurers owing largest MLR rebates
      5 things to know about Alignment Healthcare's proposed IPO
      Solid sign-ups for Biden's new Obamacare coverage offer
    • MedPAC likely to recommend an effective cut in Medicare Advantage spending
      MedPAC likely to recommend CMS simplify alternative payment models
      Florida governor faces growing charges of vaccine favoritism
      States rapidly expanding vaccine access as supplies surge
    • 369178053.jpg
      Shares of insurer Oscar Health fall following $1.4B IPO
      Sutter Health posts sizable 2020 loss, announces sweeping review of finances
      UPMC's patient volumes stabilize, boosting 2020 profits
      Genomics firms taking advantage of SPACs trend to go public faster
    • Abbott gets emergency use authorization for test that detects COVID-19, other infections
      Insurance regulator to issue warning on virus-test billing
      351532635.jpg
      Red-hot virtual care market propels New York City health startups to record year
      Teladoc reports $383.3M in fourth-quarter revenue, up 145%
    • Workers worry about safety, stress as states ease mask rules
      Doctors performing surgery
      Doctor appears in court video call while performing surgery
      Artist Gus Moran begins his chalk art piece Feb. 28 at the Disneyland Resort Vaccine Super Site POD.
      City of Hope commissions street art to spread positive messages
      54.2% of teens were fully vaccinated against HPV in 2019, compared with 51.1% in 2018. 79 million: Estimated number of Americans currently infected with HPV.
      Data Points: Another vaccination race for HPV
    • Francoise_Adan1_i.jpg
      Cleveland's UH creates position of chief whole health and well-being officer
      Alicia Wilson
      Q&A: Emerging leader Alicia Wilson on staying close to home
      Michael Jordan, Novant team up to address health equity
      Former Ascension CEO, the first to lead the health system, passes away
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Insights
    • ACA 10 Years After
    • Best Practices
    • Special Reports
    • Innovations
    • The Affordable Care Act after 10 years
    • Dr. John Fischer
      Patient-reported outcomes tool for hernia surgery helps physicians improve care
      New care model helps primary-care practices treat obesity
      doctor with patient
      COVID-19 treatment protocol developed in the field helps patients recover
      Rachel Wyatt
      Project to curb pressure injuries in hospitals shows promise
    • What's next for on-demand telehealth companies?
      A CalOptima PACE vaccination clinic.
      Will COVID-19 be the catalyst for creating a more sustainable healthcare system?
      A map of the U.S. with images of the coronavirus.
      The digital divide becomes a new social determinant of health
      Ascension’s St. Mary’s Hospital Surgery Center at Towne Centre and Allegheny Health Network’s Bethel Park surgery center
      Hospitals see opportunity, risk in ambulatory surgery centers
    • Ryan McGinnis
      Finding efficiencies in the OR using tech
      Dr. Daniel Hall
      UPMC pilots machine learning, telehealth to inform patient transfers
      A woman being recorded using her inhaler on a smartphone.
      Digital check-ins, connected inhalers help control asthma
      A phone screen showing the question, "Mary we hope this information was helpful and we'd like to keep guiding you. Are you interested in knowing when it's your turn to receive the vaccine?"
      Chatbots, texting campaigns help manage influx of COVID vax questions
  • Transformation
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • What's next for on-demand telehealth companies?
      Rising prescription copays drop adherence, spike mortality, research shows
      Dr. John Fischer
      Patient-reported outcomes tool for hernia surgery helps physicians improve care
      Highmark Health inks six-year cloud, tech deal with Google
    • Ryan McGinnis
      Finding efficiencies in the OR using tech
      Hospitals' Medicare billing practices suggest upcoding, OIG says
      California hospitals prepare ethical protocol to prioritize lifesaving care
      Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Berkshire Hathaway disband Haven
    • Dr. Daniel Hall
      UPMC pilots machine learning, telehealth to inform patient transfers
      A woman being recorded using her inhaler on a smartphone.
      Digital check-ins, connected inhalers help control asthma
      Humana partners with in-home provider for 24/7 care
      A phone screen showing the question, "Mary we hope this information was helpful and we'd like to keep guiding you. Are you interested in knowing when it's your turn to receive the vaccine?"
      Chatbots, texting campaigns help manage influx of COVID vax questions
    • MedPAC likely to recommend CMS simplify alternative payment models
      Bundled payments reduce surgery costs by 10.7%
      Coordinated payment policies could speed transition to value, experts say
      CMMI's geographic direct contracting model needs an overhaul, experts say
  • Data/Lists
    • Rankings/Lists
    • Interactive Databases
    • Data Points
    • Health Systems Financials
      Executive Compensation
      Physician Compensation
  • Op-Ed
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
    • Dr. Alan Kaplan
      The risks, rewards of taking organizations 'where they haven’t gone before'
      Wellstar CEO calls adapting for the pandemic her bold move
      Howard P. Kern
      Recognizing the value of telehealth in its infancy
      Dr. Stephen Markovich
      A bold move helped take him from family doctor to OhioHealth CEO
    • Dr. Stephen Markovich
      Making sure we're aligned along the path to achieving inclusion
      Barry Ostrowsky
      Ending racism is a journey taken together; the starting point must be now
      Laura Lee Hall and Gary Puckrein
      Increased flu vaccination has never been more important for communities of color
      John Daniels Jr.
      Health equity: Making the journey from buzzword to reality
    • The COVID-19 experience and its influence on post-pandemic health policy
      Haven is history, but its mission is the future of healthcare
      Vaccinating children could be the key to ending the pandemic
      Mikelle Moore
      The promising future of rural healthcare, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic
    • Letters: Eliminating bias in healthcare needs to be ‘deliberate and organic’
      Letters: Maybe dropping out of ACOs is a good thing for patients
      Letters: White House and Congress share blame for lack of national COVID strategy
      Letters: VA making strides to improve state veterans home inspections
    • Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      How blockchain could ease frustration with the payment process
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Three steps to better data-sharing for payer and provider CIOs
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Reduce total cost of care: 6 reasons why providers and payers should tackle the challenge together
      Sponsored Content Provided By Optum
      Why CIOs went from back-office operators to mission-critical innovators
  • Awards
    • Award Programs
    • Nominate
    • Previous Award Programs
    • Other Award Programs
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare Logo for Navigation
      Nominations Open - Best Places to Work in Healthcare
      Nominations Open - 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top 25 Innovators
    • Minorities in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Minority Leaders
      • - Minorities to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Excellence in Nursing Awards
    • Design Awards
    • Top 25 COOs in Healthcare
    • 100 Top Hospitals
    • ACHE Awards
  • Events
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Webinars
    • COVID-19 Event Tracker
    • podium march webinar logo lockup
      Sponsored Content Provided By Podium
      Webinar: Critical Touchpoints for Every Patient’s Journey — How Technology Plays an Important Role
      scp health logo lockup march 2021
      Sponsored Content Provided By SCP Health
      Webinar: COVID’s call to action — Reset for success in 2021
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Healthcare Transformation Summit
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Virtual Briefings
      • - Hospital of the Future
      • - Mental Health
      • - Patient Safety & Quality
      • - Strategic Marketing
      • - Virtual Health
      • - Workplace of the Future
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Minority Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
  • Listen
    • Podcast - Next Up
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Empty boardroom
      Next Up Podcast: What's going to happen tomorrow? Succession planning during emergencies
      Next Up Podcast: Educating patients on the COVID-19 vaccine with Tanya Andreadis
      Dr. Joseph Cacchione
      Next Up Podcast: Educating patients on the COVID-19 vaccine with Dr. Joseph Cacchione
      Dr. Karen DeSalvo
      Next Up Podcast: What to expect with telehealth and healthcare technology in the next four years
    • Beyond the Byline: Insurers are betting on virtual-first plans as COVID-19 shifts care pathways
      Beyond the Byline: How residents' stories shape our coverage of the vaccination rollout in nursing homes
      Beyond the Byline: Regulators aim to boost value push with fraud and abuse law updates
      An older man wearing a mask receiving a vaccine.
      Beyond the Byline: Verifying information on the chaotic COVID-19 vaccine rollout
    • Outreach during COVID-19
      Leading intention promote diversity and inclusion
      Introducing Healthcare Insider Podcast
    • The Check Up: Dr. Marc Boom
      The Check Up: Dr. Marc Boom of Houston Methodist
      The Check Up: Dr. Imran Andrabi
      The Check Up: Dr. Imran Andrabi of ThedaCare
      The Check Up: Tanya Blackmon
      The Check Up: Tanya Blackmon of Novant Health
      The Check Up: Dr. Patrick Hwu
      The Check Up: Dr. Patrick Hwu of the Moffitt Cancer Center
    • ivana naeymi-rad one on one intelligent medical objects
      Video: Ivana Naeymi Rad of Intelligent Medical Objects
  • MORE +
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Newsletters
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Supply Chain
February 01, 2021 10:55 AM

Supply shortages also impacting non-COVID-19 lab testing

Associated Press
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Modern Healthcare Illustration / Getty Images

    The COVID testing supply chain has dominated most discussions of laboratory shortages during the pandemic, but facilities have also struggled to secure supplies for more routine testing.

    Labs have taken a number of steps to compensate, including outsourcing some testing, shifting back to older technologies, and, in some cases temporarily removing some tests from their test menus, said several laboratory heads.

    "If you would have told me a year ago that major suppliers would be running out of the simplest, most basic things as far as lab supplies go, I would have said you were out of your mind," said Gregory Tsongalis, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and director of clinical genomics and advanced technology at Dartmouth College's Geisel School of Medicine.

    He cited pipette tips, specimen tubes, 96-well plates, and DNA extraction reagents as among the biggest challenges.

    Pipette tip shortages, Tsongalis said, have proved particularly vexing because different automated molecular systems often use different kinds of tips, which means that if one supplier is out, labs can't necessarily use tips from another instrument or supplier.

    Pipettes for "the big, automated instruments where they have a specific size tip for that particular instrument have been tough to get, and whether you are doing COVID-19 testing or not, those are supplies you need to run those instruments," he said.

    Tsongalis said that generic pipette tips for these instruments are available, but they don't always work well, and labs could run into issues with their warranties or service contracts if they had problems with an instrument due to the use of generic equipment.

    Christina Wojewoda, a pathologist and director of microbiology at the University of Vermont Medical Center, likewise, said that pipette tips and supplies of other plastics are a major issue both for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 testing.

    Efforts to ramp up COVID testing has impacted the availability of microbiology supplies broadly, she said. "A lot of microbiology supplies are on back order or in short supply because test manufacturers are, rightly, focusing their attention on COVID."

    For instance, her lab recently ran out of PCR cartridges for testing for MRSA. Reagents needed for molecular testing of Varicella-Zoster Virus (which causes chickenpox and shingles) are on back order, as are test kits for molecular stool testing.

    "COVID is the big issue right now, but I'm concerned that while everyone is focused on COVID we are going to have other public health issues because we are not able to do the appropriate testing that we would normally do because those supplies are short," she said.

    The shortages have been "pretty significant," said Nathan Ledeboer, medical director of clinical microbiology and molecular diagnostics at Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin. "It's more a question of what isn't being affected at the moment."

    He cited testing for sexual transmitted infections (STIs) as an area where shortages are particularly acute, noting that one of his lab's main vendors for such testing is able to supply tests at the same level of last year but isn't able to keep up with growing demand. In the case of rapid STI testing supplies, the lab is "very short of what we need," Ledeboer said, noting that it is getting roughly a tenth of its normal supply of these tests.

    He said the lab typically uses these rapid tests for two purposes — in the emergency department and as a confirmatory test, particularly in situations where child abuse is suspected, and two independent tests are required for legal purposes.

    In the case of the confirmatory testing, the lab has been sending this work out to a reference lab due to the shortages that Ledeboer described.

    In the case of the ED, "we just have to say, we don't have the ability to offer [rapid testing] to you right now, we have to do it as a routine batch test," he said.

    Like Wojewoda, Ledeboer, also cited a lack of molecular stool pathogen panels. This has led both facilities to return to culture-based methods for stool pathogen detection.

    Ledeboer said that as one of the few facilities in its area to continue offering culture-based testing, Froedtert-MCW has received many inquiries from other providers in the area about doing culture-based testing.

    Culturing is subject to its own supply constraints, though, he said. "We've run into problems because media is in limited supply and being able to get enough media to do those selective cultures has been a bit of a problem."

    He said the lab has had to explore alternate types of media and different vendors to stay supplied.

    Ledeboer said that shortages in the agarose gel and plastic plates used to make culture plates have contributed to the shortage. He also said that following the dramatic drop in routine test volumes at the beginning of the pandemic, vendors responded by cutting back production of the materials needed for this testing.

    "It has taken a while for all of that to come back up to normal levels again," he said.

    Meningitis testing has also run into supply challenges, Ledeboer said, and for a while his lab couldn't get meningitis panels, "so we simply couldn't offer that test for about a four-day period of time," he said. Instead, his lab relied on culture or single-plex molecular testing done in house or sent out to a reference lab.

    "Certainly there was a turnaround time delay in that particular case, which also had the potential to be patient-impacting, because that is a result you need pretty quickly," he said.

    In the case of flu testing, shortages have led the lab to stop offering the assay altogether, Ledeboer said. His lab no longer offers a standalone flu test, and anyone want to test for flu will need to order a respiratory pathogen panel or a mini-panel that includes SARS-CoV-2.

    In some cases, Ledeboer said the lab has borrowed from its COVID-19 testing supplies to make sure they were able to cover testing that was absolutely necessary. For example, it couldn't ignore transplant patients, so it took pipettes from the supply meant for COVID-19 testing.

    He added that in recent weeks the culture media supply situation has improved, though STI and gastrointestinal testing panels remain hard to come by.

    Tsongalis said that his lab had slowed turnaround times somewhat for certain kinds of assays to deal with supply shortages, including some tests for genetic diseases which are meant to confirm a diagnosis, but whose results aren't promptly required.

    "We were able to delay some of our other viral load testing, though we didn't delay those too much," he said. "Anything like that where there aren't [patient] management decisions waiting to be made immediately."

    Tsongalis said that his lab put in time at the beginning of the pandemic validating several different assays using supplies from different vendors in the hope that this would prevent them from running up against shortages.

    "We didn't have as much of a problem as people in other places around the country did, but we still ran into having to switch gears from one assay to another because we couldn't get what we needed for certain things," he said.

    This story first appeared in our sister publication 360Dx, which provides in-depth coverage of in vitro diagnostics and the clinical lab market.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    White House: Merck to help produce rival J&J's vaccine
    White House: Merck to help produce rival J&J's vaccine
    Perrigo sells generic drug business for $1.55 billion
    Perrigo sells generic drug business for $1.55 billion
    Sponsored Content
    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up for free enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today

    The weekly magazine, websites, research and databases provide a powerful and all-encompassing industry presence. We help you make informed business decisions and lead your organizations to success.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Instagram

    Stay Connected

    Join the conversation with Modern Healthcare through our social media pages

    MDHC_Logotype_white
    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • This Week's News
      • COVID-19
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition
    • Insights
      • ACA 10 Years After
      • Best Practices
      • Special Reports
      • Innovations
    • Transformation
      • Patients
      • Operations
      • Care Delivery
      • Payment
    • Data/Lists
      • Rankings/Lists
      • Interactive Databases
      • Data Points
    • Op-Ed
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Awards
      • Award Programs
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top 25 Innovators
        • Minorities in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Minority Leaders
          • - Minorities to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Nominate
      • Previous Award Programs
        • Excellence in Nursing Awards
        • Design Awards
        • Top 25 COOs in Healthcare
      • Other Award Programs
        • 100 Top Hospitals
        • ACHE Awards
    • Events
      • Conferences
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Healthcare Transformation Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Virtual Briefings
          • - Hospital of the Future
          • - Mental Health
          • - Patient Safety & Quality
          • - Strategic Marketing
          • - Virtual Health
          • - Workplace of the Future
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Minority Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Webinars
      • COVID-19 Event Tracker
    • Listen
      • Podcast - Next Up
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • MORE +
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Newsletters
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing