Reducing Platelet Wastage in a Regional Australian Haematology Center: Impact of Phone Calls to Clinical Staff for Expiring Platelet Stock

Abstract

Inventory management of platelets is critically important to avoid shortage and minimise wastage.1 In our centre this is challenging with a platelet order to delivery time of 12–24 h and no other stock within a 400 km radius. The aim of our study was to examine if phoning clinical haematology staff reduced platelet wastage.

Our senior transfusion scientist introduced routine calls to haematology clinical staff when platelets were expiring in the next 12 h. We compared Discards as Percentage Issued (DAPI) published in National Blood Authority reports for July–December 2016 prior to the intervention with DAPI for July–December 2018 after this intervention was routinely established. Excel spreadsheets of platelet inventory and logs of phone calls to clinicians were also reviewed.

We observed an absolute reduction of 9.2% in DAPI between the two time periods (23.0% for July–December 2018 vs. 32.2% for July–December 2016). From July to December 2018 66 phone calls were made to clinical staff regarding expiring platelet stock. The total number of platelets issued in the two time periods was similar (391 July–December 2016 vs. 387 July–December 2018).

Our results demonstrate a simple yet effective best practice inventory management strategy to reduce platelet wastage. This strategy has the potential to benefit other centres facing similar challenges as well as improve platelet wastage in more centrally located facilities.