While every medical office is unique, many struggle with the same set of issues when it comes to medical supplies. Every medical office needs some sort of medical supplies to keep them running effectively. The management of medical supplies is an essential task that is often neglected or ignored. This creates mayhem when certain essential supplies are out of stock or can’t be easily found. Explore these tips to better manage your medical supplies.
Keep an Up-To-Date Inventory
Chances are a practice keeps, or attempts to keep, the same medical supplies in-stock year-round. The procedures performed and patients seen typically remain steady so supplies can be estimated and determined by usage trends. So, a medical office that regularly uses mouth swabs will need to keep a certain amount on hand at all times.
Part of knowing when to order more supplies is knowing how many items in stock is considered to be “running low” on something. For example, a smaller medical office may not bat an eye at having one hundred rapid influenza tests on hand, while a larger medical office may have to hit the panic button when supplies get this low.
Every practice is unique. Establish baselines and come up with an inventory system that keeps supplies up to date. Here are a few suggested methods for keeping an accurate inventory of supplies:
Have Employees Mark Every Time an Item Is Used
Keeping an accurate count of every item used and when is a great and in-depth way to establish a hyper-specific inventory. This can also help track the overuse of supplies, supply disappearances, and aid in establishing a baseline of the practice’s monthly and yearly supply needs.
Take a Full Inventory at the Beginning and End of Every Day
When the practice opens, have an employee take a full inventory of all medical supplies. Have an employee repeat this process at the end of the day. This is less specific than the previous example but will still provide an accurate estimate of monthly and yearly item requirements of your practice.
Create an Organizational System and Stick To It
A common issue in medical offices is poor organization of supplies. This can lead to over and under ordering of essential items. To cut back on these ordering issues, consider implementing a solidified organizational system and urging all employees to stick to it vigilantly. Keep like items with like items to cut down on confusion and time spent searching for supplies. Below are some tips for organized storage spaces.
Keep a Count on the Container
On each container of supplies mark how many individual items are left. This helps with inventory and with keeping reordering in mind. This will also help people know which box to pull supplies from, avoiding having multiple containers open at once.
Give Everything a Place and Never Move Things
Once a medical supply item is given a place, it should never be relocated. This helps employees find items quickly and cuts down on confusion. Arrange things as logically as possible. This can be tricky as each practice or office has different needs, so what is logical for one application may not be for others.
Label, Label, Label
Everything should get a prominent, easy-to-read label. Each item container needs to be labeled with its contents and each section or storage closet should also be given labels to indicate what is stored inside. Labels are the fastest and easiest way to organize and find items without hassle.
Order Supplies in Advance
Ordering supplies online is a huge advantage medical offices should all take advantage of in the digital age. Many companies even allow a monthly reorder to be set up, so you don’t have to call and reorder every month—supplies just show up when you need them. Once your inventory and organizational systems are in place, it should be as easy as analyzing data to determine what quantity of a certain supply is needed for your practice each month or year.
Keep a steady supply of your most-used items coming in by anticipating your own practice’s needs. It’s much more workable to have too many supplies than not enough.
Discuss your needs with a trusted medical supply provider to determine what quantity and delivery windows are best suited for your business. Your patients need supplies, so working with a company that prioritizes your needs is critical to providing the best care possible.
Keep a Back-Up Stock of Essential Supplies
As stated previously, it is much easier to operate a practice with too many supplies than it is to operate one with not enough supplies. Your practice is unique and needs specific supplies to properly serve its patients. No two practices will need the exact same amount and variety of items. Consider your inventory, your patient demands, and your seasonal fluctuations when ordering essentials and other supplies.
Consider Seasonal Needs
Just like with retail, there are seasonal considerations with medical applications. Flu season may require extra PPE equipment and rapid influenza tests, while the summer may call for more injury-related supplies and school physical needs. Consider the fluctuations in supply needs for your specific area of practice when ordering supplies.
When in Doubt, Over-Order
Having a back-up stock of essential supplies is a great way to ensure you’ll never run out of items at critical moments. Running out of essential supplies is not ideal for your patients or your practice. Keep a stock room of “back-up” supplies for just in case scenarios. You can never be over-prepared!
There are so many ways to integrate organizational methods and pre-planning into medical supply management. Consider implementing these tips to better manage your medical supplies into your practice or medical office. Organized and streamlined medical supply management means better care for patients and less stress for medical professionals. Consider ordering your medical lab supplies online through American Screening Corporation. We have all the supplies you need in one convenient spot—right at your fingertips. Contact us today for more information. We strive to help you serve your patients in the most effective manner.
