Organ Transplant Supply Chain at Risk Amid Dispute

The flow of organs to 63 U.S. transplant centers could be disrupted due to a dispute between the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and Buckeye Transplant Services over the use of transplant data. UNOS is threatening to revoke Buckeye's access to the computer network that coordinates the movement of transplant organs if they do not comply with their demands. If no deal is reached, transplant centers relying on Buckeye's services would have to take over the task of organ screening or find another company to do it. Buckeye has sued UNOS, alleging that they are competitors and that UNOS's actions have already cost the company money. The impact on patients is uncertain, but it could lead to delays and strain hospital staff.