In healthcare, running out of essential supplies isn’t just inconvenient — it can directly impact patient safety, disrupt workflows, and cause unnecessary stress for staff.
Whether it’s gloves, dressings, PPE, or diagnostic kits, stockouts often happen at the worst possible moment.
The good news? They can be prevented with a few simple but effective strategies.
- Understand Your Usage Patterns
Review your past order history to see how often you use certain products. Identify seasonal spikes — for example, PPE and cleaning products often increase in winter due to flu season.
- Maintain a Minimum Stock Level
Set “par levels” for your most critical items — a minimum quantity that triggers re-ordering. This acts as a safety net to ensure you never fall short.
- Streamline Your Ordering Process
Avoid ad-hoc orders from multiple staff members. Instead, centralise ordering through one person or a clear system so that requests don’t slip through the cracks.
- Build Strong Supplier Relationships
Choose suppliers that can deliver reliably and quickly. A supplier who understands your needs can often fast-track urgent orders or suggest cost-effective alternatives.
- Use Technology to Automate Reordering
Modern AI-based systems, like Medulla AI, can track your stock levels, predict when you’ll need to reorder, and automatically prepare purchase orders. This removes the guesswork and prevents human error.
Bottom line: Stockouts aren’t inevitable — they’re a sign that your supply chain needs fine-tuning.
By understanding usage patterns, setting safety stock levels, and embracing automation, your practice or care home can focus on what really matters: delivering quality care.
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