Not That Anyone Cares, But . . .

Say you have a favourite cereal at the only grocery store within 50 miles that sells it, and they run out. You go there, and find that they've not only run out, but won't be getting anymore for an undetermined amount of time due to a wheat shortage. What do you do? Do you call back daily to check the status of the wheat shortage? When you hear that the wheat shortage isn't over yet, do you start abusing the grocery store personnel because you're irritated? Or do you substitute a corn cereal in the mean time (which, while it isn't your preferred cereal, at least allows you to eat while the wheat shortage is happening)?

We're in the middle of a Mo-99 shortage, which means there are no generators being produced. This shortage has been ongoing for the last week and, though we hoped it'd be over by Wednesday, it doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon.

We've been doing our best to service as many of our full-time customers as we can by asking them to reschedule some of the heavier patients and cutting cardiac doses back to 10- and 25mCi and bone doses back to 20mCi. Not the optimal dosage, true, but still produces a perfectly diagnosable image in a patient that isn't too heavy. We also suggested substituting Tl-201 for the 10mCi resting doses. Again, not optimal, but images adequately, and it's a temporary measure.

At first, people were pretty understanding (with the exception of a couple of people who, naturally, think that they're our most important customers and should be treated accordingly). But as time wears on, tempers are growing shorter. Yesterday a few people behaved as though we were intentionally holding back on them. A few went so far as to accuse us of making the shortage seem worse than it actually is.

For what?! Why would we deny our customers doses?! We're a business, for chrissakes, how can we make money if we choose not to sell products?! It makes no sense. So apparently, the consensus is that if they're jerky to us, the shortage will end and they'll get what they want. I just don't get it.