Medical supply backorders across multiple locations
Manoa editorial
https://manoa.health/resources/guide-medical-supply-backorders-across-multiple-locations

Put one person in charge of following up on each backorder. Make sure they know which site needs the item, when it’s needed and who can approve a change. Set a time for the next update before everyone moves on to other work.

Check your order with the supplier even if the item isn’t on a national shortage list. The FDA notes that local interruptions can happen without a device appearing on its list. [FDA shortage questions](https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/medical-device-supply-chain-and-shortages/supply-and-shortages-medical-devices-frequently-asked-questions).

## When Thursday delivery slips to Monday

In this illustrative example, a site learns on Monday that two cases due Thursday now have an estimated arrival the following Monday. The supplies are needed Friday. The person handling purchasing records the original date, new estimate, supplier contact and time of the update. Site staff check what they need and what usable stock they have.

Send the supplier a request they can answer line by line:

```text
Update request for order: ______
Required by: ______ at ______ (site)
Approved item, ordering UOM and quantity: ______
Revised delivery estimate: ______
Time of your next update: ______
```

If your distributor offers backorder alerts or substitution tools, use them alongside this request.

The next step is to ask the original supplier about options and check the same approved item through other authorized channels. Compare quantity, price, freight and delivery dates, marking estimates as estimates. The [quote comparison checklist](/resources/guide-medical-supply-quote-comparison-checklist-and-calculator) covers each check. If an option changes the product, designated customer staff must review its clinical suitability.

Another site may have stock, but someone there needs to confirm it’s available to transfer. Customer staff decide whether that can happen and handle the supplies. Arranging the transfer isn’t part of Manoa’s initial service.

In this example, the buyer approves the same item from a second authorized supplier for Thursday delivery. The original supplier confirms in writing that the first order is cancelled. On Thursday, site staff check the product, quantity and condition before anyone closes the backorder. If the delivery is short or changed, [check the invoice against the receipt](/resources/guide-medical-supply-invoice-reconciliation-and-supplier-credits).

## Responsibility and escalation checklist

1. **Identify the affected purchase.** Record item, ordering UOM, pack, quantity, site, supplier and order reference.
2. **Confirm the requirement.** Name the responsible site contact and required-by date. Mark unknown stock information as unknown.
3. **Ask the supplier for an update.** Keep their response and the next promised update together.
4. **Write down the options.** Include availability of the approved item, price, charges, delivery dates and anything still unconfirmed.
5. **Get approval for changes.** Authorized customer staff approve changed products, costs and commitments. They decide clinical suitability.
6. **Check the original order.** If it needs cancelling, get confirmation. Asking to cancel doesn’t mean the supplier has cancelled it.
7. **Check the delivery.** Site staff confirm the product, quantity and condition. Shipment tracking can’t replace that check.

## Set the next deadline before closing the conversation

Leave enough time for the customer to decide. “Waiting for the supplier” still needs a person and a follow-up time. Record whether the order arrived, was cancelled or still needs attention, and who will pick it up next.

Use this reusable record:

- Site / item / order / quantity and UOM: ______
- Original commitment / revised supplier estimate: ______
- Required-by date / customer contact: ______
- Owner / next action / escalation time: ______
- Proposed option / unresolved conditions / approval: ______
- Was the original order cancelled or received? Who confirmed it? ______

Supplier follow-up is part of what Manoa handles. Clinical decisions, inventory management and physically handling supplies stay with your team. Our [worked example](/example) shows why cancellation confirmation matters.

Sources
FDA: supply and shortages questions: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/medical-device-supply-chain-and-shortages/supply-and-shortages-medical-devices-frequently-asked-questions (checked 2026-09-22)