MEMORANDUM

To: All MHCS Directors

From: Lxxxx O. Gxxxxx Director Purchasing and Group Purchasing Services

Subject: Y2K  Over Ordering/Stockpiling

As Director, Purchasing and Group Purchasing Services for the System, I would like to inform you of many of our suppliers' stance relative to stockpiling and over ordering in anticipation of Y2K. Most large distributors and manufacturers are encouraging the health care industry to resist stockpiling supplies. This is the position of MHCS. In an effort to discourage stockpiling, these venders are flagging any account that orders significantly over the norm, and then questioning the customer. If the customer has a legitimate reason for the large order, it will be accepted and if not, the order is disallowed and reduced to a "normal" order. This is to discourage the stockpiling/panic buying that a few entities in the U.S. have started.

To further discourage over ordering, some vendors have modified their stocking/return policies. They will either decline large and/or repeated returns for one customer well into the next year, or will assess a 25% or more restocking fee for returns of a large and/or repeated nature.

The same theory should be applied to orders from our Warehouse. Please do not hoard/stockpile. This could cause serious problems for our System and push us into a "panic buying" position. Staff in Purchasing, Warehouse, and Central Service are monitoring our inventory levels. Some critical items are being monitored 2-3 times weekly through this crucial period to assist in avoiding outages and shortages. This is not meant to prevent you from assuring adequate supplies that are purchased specifically for your area and not stocked in CS or the Warehouse.

Please share this e-mail with your management staff and all in your areas that have ordering responsibilities.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Lxxxx O. Gxxxxx Director, Purchasing and Group Purchasing Services Methodist Health Care System phone: 713-79x-1841 fax: 713-79x-4335

-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchens.gov), August 27, 1999

Answers

Well, so much for thinking hospitals might still have some supplies if Y2K disruptions last more than a couple of weeks...

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), August 27, 1999.

This is the truly DISGUSTING fact of NO LEADERSHIP.

These suppliers are ONLY concerned with their bottom lines.

If this Administration had taken on their responsibilities with regard to y2k long ago we would at least have been able to ramp up production to some degree.

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), August 27, 1999.

"In an effort to discourage stockpiling, these venders are flagging any account that orders significantly over the norm, and then questioning the customer. If the customer has a legitimate reason for the large order, it will be accepted and if not, the order is disallowed and reduced to a "normal" order."

I wish I had a business that I could actually turn down orders. Sounds like somebody somewhere should have anticipated this rise in demand and adjusted accordingly. Shareholders should be outraged!

"This is to discourage the stockpiling/panic buying that a few entities in the U.S. have started." I wish we had a report on who those entities were.

This is so much better than those reports where people say I work for co.xyz and we blah.blahblah.

Thanks for posting this you are BRAVE!

-- Johnny (JLJTM@BELLSOUTH.NET), August 27, 1999.

If I were the purchasing director of the facility, I would immediately seek out other suppliers and CUT THEM OFF!!

Bob P

-- Bob P (Rpilc99206@aol.com), August 27, 1999.

This is the expected outcome of procrastination. Now it is too late to build up supplies for any but a fraction of the population.

Special thanks to Flint, Hoff, Mr. Decker and all of our other pollyanna friends. May the flames of hell lick your testicles.

-- (@ .), August 27, 1999.

It seems to me that the gov/corp/media y2k spin has worked very effectively. Any mention of "hoarding" or "stockpiling" (notice how many times these words have been used) is taboo!! Get ready.. People believe what the television tells them to a tee!!! Very few will take precautions because to do so is to become one of those "y2k fanatics"

Demonizing is the very best propaganda tool I have seen!!! It is working perfectly...

-- gary (gary@nowhere.gov), August 27, 1999.

If the customer has a legitimate reason for the large order, it will be accepted and if not, the order is disallowed and reduced to a "normal" order. Isn't another word for this rationing???

Ominous report, no talking please. Thanks for sending it along.

-- RUOK (RUOK@yesiam.com), August 27, 1999.

The antelope does not bemoan its fate when it falls to the lioness.So shall it be when species die-back turns it's ugly head towards us.The species will continue,dynastical decline and downfall have always happened.It just sucks if you happen to be in Babylon when it falls.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), August 27, 1999.

i would like to email this info to one of my friends who works for a large hospital. how do i do it any easy way to email this article?

-- rena (wsch117360@aol.com), August 27, 1999.

Last week our local preparedness group invited a representative from the local hospital to address the group on the hospital's situation. The local hospital is part of a group of hospitals from this region. During her presentation, the hospital representative (who was a person from the accounting side of the administrative staff) stated that the hospital group was stockpiling enough drugs for at least a ninety day period. She was asked about food. She said they had "lots" of food, but didn't disclose the length of time they planned for or the number of people they planned to feed. She claimed she didn't know but when questioned, repeated that it was "lots". Someone then asked what plans the hospital had if it should happen to run out of food. She replied that the sheriff has the ability to "quarantine" the grocery store, and they would just go down and get more food there. Next question was, "are they planning to declare martial law?" She answered, "no, just quarantine the store." I told her they could not seize private property without declaring martial law. Someone in the audience made the comment that the hospital's plan really made good sense. Helllllooooooo! Guess that guy will really enjoy breadlines @ soupkitchens.gov.

-- Sharon L (sharonl@volcano.net), August 27, 1999.

Rena,

Put your cursor on the URL address at top of page.

Highlight by one click of left mouse button.

Right click and highlight "copy".

Left click to "copy" the URL into your PC.

Open your email software.

Position cursor in the body of your email and right click and click on paste.

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), August 27, 1999.

Maybe they don't want all of those unused and outdated supplies returned when they are not needed....

I know a lot of places that sell generators that are doing so with the stipulation that they will not take returns.

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), August 27, 1999.

I work in a medical supply warehouse, and as of yet have not seen any unusally large orders come through for the hospitals in Wayne County, Detroit, Mich area.

-- m.lawson (Axel1017@aol.com), August 28, 1999.

In checking with our Operations Manager at the distribution center where I work. It has been told to me, when inquiring again about hospitals stocking up .......Our company has been told by our suppliers that they will not accept unusally large orders from us and in return the hospitals are aware of this so they cannot increase their order, unusually high ....because they already know we are not being supplied with any outlandish orders for ourselves. This is to eliminate any stockpiling......Also our warehouse manager has been to several of our customers recieving areas and supports they do not have room to store excess( unless they use another area of the hospital.We have some customers that recieve a shipment everyday and others as little as once a week. Just keeping you posted as I find new info out from my company.

-- lawson (axel1017@aol.com), September 06, 1999.