Custom Pack Supply Management

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Handling Routine Supplies Adds Up - Custom Packs Answer the Problem

Receiving and handling of sterile supplies in hospitals is filled with all sorts of challenges, ordering, receiving, stocking, return to stock/credits, stock rotation, out dates, cycle counting, and lets not forget over-handling resulting contamination.  What’s often overlooked is the cost associated to all of this and how to improve on it.

OR Materials Management - Get it Organized

Additionally we are trying to support the daily surgery schedule which generates the bulk of hospital revenue.

Let’s not forget the revenue our physicians need to generate to support their services which in turn supports us.   

A well ran OR materials management program must include an inventory process that supports both sterile supplies and instrumentation all while reducing the handling of sterile supplies.

Keep in mind that the more you handle a sterile item the higher the probability of contamination, “Event Related”.

 

Reducing Handling

In the last year of PBDS utilization we have handled 32,112, CPT and PBDS packs combined.

The more impressive number is number of single items that we did not have to handle, 1,421,337. 

Evaluating the Top Handled Supplies used in All Surgical Cases

Evaluating the top supplies used in all surgical cases is not a task that we all have time to accomplish.  Generally speaking there is about 300 to 400 items that can be linked to daily surgical cases. 

Of that there is about 10 to 20 items that are used 100% of the time.

Streamlining this process to support case pulling, room turnover, and reduce picking errors greatly influences both staff and surgeon satisfaction.

The best way that I have found to do this is a Custom Procedure Tray or Procedure Based Delivery System offered by Cardinal Healthcare.

There are several factors to look at such as the handling cost to assemble the custom packs; do not forget your overall handling costs.

Warning:  Pay close attention to "NON-CONTRACT" items from your pack vendor.  These are the supplies that your pack provider does not get the best pricing on from a third party vendor.  In some cases you are better off ordering specific non-generic supplies direct from the manufacturer.  This is due to your primary vendor not having the same contract pricing that you may receive from the manufacturer or vendor.  

The Goal is to Reduce Internal Handling

By utilizing the Cardinal Healthcare CPT and PBDS pack system we reduced the overall handling costs of over 1-million items.

This improved case pulling, eliminated errors, while improving the OR materials management process.

Efficiencies in supporting surgical cases are paramount in ensuring surgeon and staff satisfaction which ultimately support revenue and future growth. 

 

Handling Costs Add Up

Your costs are associated to the number of PO’s, along with handling cost for ordering, receiving, and case pulling sometimes referred to as cost-per-unit. 

Either way you look at it you need stock on the shelf.

Reducing handling of sterile supplies and errors are additional cost not so easily quantified but do greatly impact the overall expense in one way or another.

Let’s not forget the handling cost of your semi-annual inventory.

An Efficient Cost Effective Process

Having the Cardinal Healthcare pack systems as part of our OR materials management has proven to support just that.