Whether you are staff that works for a hospital, surgery center, healthcare physician practice, or an outpatient clinic, you know the importance of storing medical supplies. Proper storage and organization of supplies within a facility can eliminate waste and increase overall efficiency. If supplies can be stored effectively, productivity can be improved and costs can be greatly reduced. Without further ado, here’s how to store your medical supplies for the benefit of staff and patients alike.
Protect Your Facility’s Supplies
Medical supplies and equipment within a healthcare facility are extremely valuable, which makes them just as vulnerable. Since supplies and prescription drugs can be hazardous if not utilized properly, they need the highest level of protection when they are in storage. Storage areas that hold medical supplies should be off-limits for those besides necessary personnel to avoid theft, possible supply misuse or misplacement, and hazards from unknowledgeable individuals. Security alarms and cameras should be utilized to protect medical supplies in storage 24/7.
Simplify Inventory System for Accessibility
Healthcare facilities face an array of challenges every single day. These challenges may differ in difficulties, but they prove to affect the quality of work and care from staff to patients. Ineffective medical-supply organization methods are bound to create inefficiency within a healthcare environment. Workflow can be stagnant, errors can happen by default, and revenue and patient satisfaction can become the greatest possible loss.
Knowledge of how to store your medical supplies is crucial for inventory purposes as well as to increase quality of care. Storage systems that fully utilize space are far more efficient. Whether supplies are located in cabinets, shelving, storage bins, or lockable boxes, organization should be streamlined with a correct and clear labeling system to minimize frustration. An easy-to-use inventory system, such as a digital scanner, can aid any complexities when staff needs to grab necessary supplies from storage areas.
Monitor Medical Supplies and Orders
Medical supplies need to be taken care of with the right tact and skill. Medical staff should be aware how heat, moisture, or air can damage medicine or supplies to eliminate possible waste. Storage rooms need to be at optimal temperatures to reduce potential hazards and waste. Familiarizing yourself with the medical items used within your healthcare facility is the best way to reduce waste of supplies.
For those ordering medical supplies for healthcare facilities, guidelines should be set in place for compliance and supply inventory management. If you’re currently in need of a medical supply provider, American Screening Corp is a top supplier of clinical lab supplies. With a wide range of available medical supplies—from urinalysis testing kits to blood test kits—we’re sure to have the lab supplies that suit your needs.
