Bob Anibal,
I agree completely with what you said in your post (as does the retired
Cobol programer I live with).

I'd like to add that the way the problem is filtering down from the
mainframe systems to the embedded systems and computer chips that are
embedded in almost everything in this highly technical age we live in is
where the problem is going to affect your and my everyday lives.
Healthcare and possible availability of drugs may be affected. This is
what Phil Tompkins was trying to bring to the list's attention.

The repair of the Year 2000 Problem is the largest software
maintenance project in history. It is certain the repairs being
implemented to correct Y2K problems will be imperfect. The Embedded
Systems problems remain the greatest concern to the public.

I have family members who are dependent on medications, who can not live
or function thru a shortage of supply. Specifically, 3 Diabetics on
Regular and long acting injections of insulin, 3 on oral insulin,
an Epileptic on anti-seizure meds for grand mal seizures, 3 with Heart
problems requiring beta-blockers to control dangerous cardiac
arryhthmias, a Parkinson patient on Mirapex to enable movement, a
Multiple Sclerosis patient on multiple meds (one to control blood
pressure), an Asthmatic needing bronchodilator inhalers, my Mother is on
portable oxygen...as you can see, my concerns won't go away easily.

"The average person's life is affected by more than 70 microchips
daily". Embedded Systems cannot all be corrected in time. There are
25 billion chips worldwide. Follow these discussions, it's important to
understand.

My concern is with Y2K and embedded microchips in relation to supply,
manufacture, production, distribution and transportation of these and
other critical medications and pharmaceutical supplies.

http://www.iee.org.uk/2000risk/guide/year2k10.htm

http://ipn.intelihealth.com/ipn/ihtIPN?c=192571

Supply chain relationships are subject to Year 2000 sensitivity
and may affect systems, plant and equipment and their safety in a number
of ways. They will be of particular concern in companies
which operate on a 'just-in-time' basis. These are services that
deliberately keep stocks low to prevent waste, spoilage and storage
costs.

Over the past generation, for complex reasons, American management has
preferred frequent, rapid deliveries of small quantities of supplies -
truckloads - to infrequent, slow, deliveries of large quantities -
trainloads.  This relates to transportation systems and warehousing.
The general term surrounding this is JIT - Just-In-Time Inventory
systems. Many of our businesses operate this way, hospitals and
pharmacies do.

I think many practives will contribute to the problem and a domino
effect can occur in manufacturing, transportation, communication and
utilities...which in turn may disrupt medication production, food
distribution, trade of all kinds.

Everything is so interconnected and if each business was to be able to
'clean itself up' individually there will be no means to test between
systems until the clock changes Jan 1st.

The following examples are real problems which Year 2000 Program
Managers have been considering:

(a) Breakdown of suppliers’ systems resulting in inability to supply raw
material, other supplies, or services

(b) Breakdown of customers’ systems resulting in their inability to
accept products

(c) Cessation of trading by suppliers. It has been suggested that some
companies may cease to trade in order to avoid their liabilities

(d) Breakdown of customers’ and suppliers’ computer systems resulting in
inability to supply or receive data in electronic form

(e) Suppliers’ non-compliant data; customers’ inability to accept your
data because it is non-compliant or alternatively because it is
compliant but their system is not.

Manufacturing plants, Water and sewage systems, Power stations and
Power grid systems, Oil refineries and related storage facilities,
Automated factories, Transportation, Security Systems, Communication on
all levels, Satellites, Defence Systems...the list goes on and on.

These questions came up because of all the health problems in our
family. Well we read information available on the web, started talking,
and have been reaching out for solutions. We all had to go through
periods of denial, shock, anger, panic, disbelief and then got to the
point that we were ready to talk and look for ways to deal with the
problems and look for solutions.

(I will say that I believe that the internet is going to be the best
source of accurate information...free speach and exchange of ideas
without controls and censoring are available only here these days.
Does it really reassure you when our President says, " "Trust me,
we'll have this fixed by December 1998; tested by December 1999 and
on line and functioning globally by January 1, 2000.")

http://www.nytsyn.com/live/Latest/205_072497_152200_8577.html

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/98/0420/6108037a.htm

http://www.y2ktimebomb.com/Economy/Predictions/jpeter9827.htm
 (this is #3 of a 5 part article, all five are excellently written)

"The Social Security Administration began working on its thirty million
lines of code in 1991. After five years of work, in June, 1996, four
hundred programmers had fixed only six million lines. The IRS has 88,000
programs on 80 mainframe computers to debug. By the end of last year
they had cleaned up 2,000 programs."

Will all these concerns raised materialize? I don't know. So I try to
avoid arguing with people. In this matter I say, let each person do his
own research as he sees fit and act accordingly. I cherish free speech
and open discussion. I want to be informed and decide for myself.

"First of all, it doesn't matter what you or I conclude, because our
opinions can't change what will happen to the big picture. So it
doesn't matter if I convince you that the sky is falling or that it
isn't. You don't need my conclusions because you are smart enough
to look around and decide for yourself. You don't need to be an
expert to do this basic research. Anyone can read up on embedded
systems, read the banking and state reports, look into the utilities and
telecommunications issue and get a grasp of the magnitude of the domino
effect. Major healthcare news groups are discussing contigency plans for
critical medication shortages."

You can chose to do some primary investigation yourself (and if you want
me to, I can send you pertinent info as I find it). You can make some
defensive moves 'in case' to protect yourself and your family from
possible shortages during the middle of winter or not. You can talk with
your community leaders and ask about contigency planning
or not...the choice is yours.

This is a constantly updated issue, answers given months ago are
being changed as new information surfaces and people become aware
of additional facts.

So folks the date Jan 1, 2000 is just the tip of the iceberg.

Some believe some problems will begin by the end of 1998.

- Health Care Year 2000 Discussion Forum -
 http://www.rx2000.org
"Y2K is a technology-induced problem, but it will not and cannot be
solved by technology. It creates societal problems that can only be
solved by humans. We must all work together."

Thanks to those who took the time to read my massive missive.
Your cyber sis,
Gail Vass, R.N.