Supply Chain

Managing supplies is a crucial part of moving medical products from the manufacturer to patient’s bedside. Efficient supply chains can reduce healthcare costs and make medical devices more affordable for patients and health systems. This news page includes content on supply shortages, inventory management, and procurement practices.

contrast shortage

Contrast shortage update: GE expects supply to 'progressively recover' soon

Production at the facility in Shanghai is expected to be near 100% starting on June 6.

June 2, 2022
Iodine contrast being loaded into a contrast injector in preparation for a cardiac CT scan at Duly Health and Care in Lisle, Illinois. The contrast shortage is causing some healthcare organizations to postpone exams and procedures and ration contrast supplies. Photo by Dave Fornell

ACR working with FDA and HHS to help address imaging contrast shortage

The American College of Radiology (ACR) announced this week its government relations staff has been engaging federal agencies in an effort to improve product availability and hasten resolution of the ongoing iodine contrast shortage.

May 26, 2022
A comparison between a traditional iodine contrast angiogram (left), and a gadolinium contrast angiogram (right). MRI gadolinium contrast is starting to be used in some interventional radiology procedures and is being considered in interventional cardiology due to the iodine contrast shortage.

Gadolinium can be used as substitute for iodine contrast in some interventional imaging procedures

Gadolinium might be an alternative, stop-gap solution for interventional procedures during the current iodine contrast shortage.

May 23, 2022
The imaging iodine contrast shortage is delaying procedures and causing rationing at hospitals. impact is it having on hospitals and the tough decisions that are being made to triage patients to determine if they will get a contrast CT scan or an interventional or surgical procedure requiring contrast. Photo by Dave Fornell

VIDEO: Imaging contrast shortage is delaying procedures and causing rationing

Alan H. Matsumoto, MD, chair of the department of radiology at the University of Virginia and vice chair of the American College of Radiology Board of Chancellors, explains the contrast shortage situation and the tough decisions providers are being forced to make.

May 23, 2022
Covid Drugs

FDA asks drug makers to address shortages

Drug shortages have been impacted by COVID-19, with 95% of doctors believing the pandemic exposed weaknesses in the medicine supply chain.

May 20, 2022
A medical professional trained to manage contrast reactions should be on-site at any imaging facilities doing contrast studies to maintain patient safety, according to a an updated statement from the American College of Radiology. The ACR has released the latest edition of the ACR Appropriateness Criteria, which includes 221 diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology topics with more than 1,050 clinical variants covering 2,900 clinical scenarios. #ACR #AUC #appropriateuse

Addressing contrast media shortage in the short, mid and long term

“We need to commit to changing the supply chain so that a single event in a faraway country does not put us in this predicament again," experts wrote in a new special report shared by Radiology.

May 19, 2022
With the shortage, which pertains specifically to all formulations and concentrations of GE Healthcare’s Omnipaque (iohexol), expected to last until mid-June, several organizations have eluded that conservation efforts are of critical importance.#contrastshortage #CTcontrast #iodinatedcontrast

GE provides update on contrast media shortage

The COVID lockdowns at the Shanghai plant began on March 31, and although the plant there has since resumed operations, they are not yet at 100% capacity.

May 18, 2022
With the shortage, which pertains specifically to all formulations and concentrations of GE Healthcare’s Omnipaque (iohexol), expected to last until mid-June, several organizations have eluded that conservation efforts are of critical importance.#contrastshortage #CTcontrast #iodinatedcontrast

Preserving contrast media supplies: 7 ACR recommendations

With the shortage, which pertains specifically to all formulations and concentrations of GE Healthcare’s Omnipaque (iohexol), expected to last until mid-June, several organizations have alluded that conservation efforts are of critical importance.

May 9, 2022

Around the web

Half a year after President Biden officially directed federal agencies in the executive branch’s bailiwick to “seize the promise and manage the risks” of AI, the White House has posted a status report.

U.S. physicians often receive payments from medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. New research in JAMA found a connection between receiving such payments and using specific devices—should the industry be concerned? 

Five of the largest U.S. medical societies focused on cardiovascular health are one step closer to seeing their paradigm-shifting proposal become a reality.

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