TABLE 1.

Inventory shortage phases as defined in the Canadian National Plan for Shortages of Labile Blood Components (the Plan)

Phase	Description
Green	Normal blood component inventory levels exist and supply general meets demand
Green Advisory	Persistent limited blood component supply, which may serve as a warning of imminent shortage risk, prompting review of hospital inventory levels and enhanced national visibility of hospital inventory serving as a signal for hospitals and provinces to implement any potential conservation strategies to help avoid a shortage
Amber	National blood inventory is insufficient to continue with routine transfusion practices, and implementation of specific measures is required to reduce blood usage
Red	Blood inventory levels are insufficient to ensure patients with non‐elective indications will receive transfusion
Recovery	Blood component inventories have begun to increase and are expected to be maintained at a level, which would enable gradual return to green phase.