Medical inventory management is crucial for the smooth operation of healthcare facilities, whether hospitals, clinics, or care centers. It encompasses all activities related to the acquisition, storage, distribution, and tracking of medications, equipment, and other medical supplies. Effective inventory management is essential to ensure the quality of care, optimize resources, and ensure patient safety.
Inventory management is crucial for ensuring a continuous and reliable availability of medical products and maintaining the quality of care. By ensuring that all necessary medications and equipment are available in a timely manner, inventory management enables uninterrupted treatment. This constant availability not only ensures the care provided but also facilitates the work of medical and administrative staff.
Rigorous inventory management of medications helps minimize costs related to purchasing, storing, and managing inventory. How is optimized inventory management reflected ? Simply through :
Healthcare facilities must comply with strict regulations concerning medication storage, waste management, and traceability of used medical products. Good management helps meet these requirements and avoid penalties.
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Inventory management in healthcare can be approached through various methods, among which the two main ones are periodic inventory and perpetual inventory. Each method has its own characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages, suited to the specific needs of healthcare facilities.
Periodic inventory may be sufficient for small organizations with low stock complexity, while perpetual inventory is often preferred in larger organizations or contexts where precise and real-time management is desired to maintain operational efficiency and patient safety.
Periodic inventory is a method where stock levels are checked and updated at regular intervals, often monthly, quarterly, or annually. During the period between inventories, stock movements (purchases, sales, consumption) are not recorded in detail.
Also read : How to evaluate the performance of a healthcare service? 📈
Perpetual inventory is a method where stock levels are updated in real-time every time a stock movement (such as a purchase or sale) occurs. This method uses computer systems to continuously track and record transactions.
Optimized inventory management helps maintain an adequate level of medical supplies and prevents shortages.
Use dedicated inventory management tools to anticipate demand and adjust accordingly. This will enable you to maintain rigorous tracking of stock levels and quickly detect critical shortages.
You can take advantage of features such as :
Invest in tracking technologies (barcodes, RFID).
And set up reorder thresholds for each product. When a product reaches a critical level, the system automatically places an order to avoid shortages. However, remember to conduct regular physical inventories to check the accuracy of records and adjust discrepancies as needed.
Find the right balance : maintain a safety reserve for essential products without overstocking and risking increased loss volume.
Arrange products logically and practically in storage spaces. Use appropriate storage systems to facilitate access and inventory management. Older products should be used first (FIFO - First In, First Out).
Finally, at least once a year, conduct an audit to evaluate the compliance of your storage procedures.
To avoid having expired products in stock, implement procedures to monitor their condition and expiration dates. Storage conditions should also be regularly monitored (temperature, humidity).
Ensure that storage conditions always meet the recommended standards for each type of medication (cool storage, away from light sources, etc.).
As soon as a product reaches its expiration date, it should be immediately removed from stock and isolated to prevent accidental use.
📜 Traceability Required : It is important to document the quantities and reasons for removing products from stock. Comply with local and national regulations for disposing of expired medical products. Generally, this involves:
Effective medical inventory management is fundamental to the smooth operation of healthcare facilities. By ensuring continuous product availability, optimizing costs, and complying with regulations, facilities can provide high-quality care while preventing shortages and losses.
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