With today’s focus on lowering costs while improving outcomes, medical supplies — which account for 30% to 40% of a hospital’s total costs — are a prime target. Automated point-of-use systems for hospital supply chain management offer quick, convenient access to supplies, extensive reporting tools, and can be customized by size, security, and configuration. Inventory and supply usage are recorded, by patient, making charge capture consistent and accurate. With better control over inventory, the risk of running out of essential items is reduced and the clinical staff spend less time looking for supplies when they need them.
For example, the Omnicell® supply management system offers flexible, scalable cabinets that are either stand-alone systems or an adjunct to a medication management system. These cabinets use biometric identification, barcoding technology, and verbal confirmation for log-on, expired products, and latex warnings. A single cabinet can store seven years of data. They can be customized for the surgical suite, the cardiac catheterization lab, and other key clinical areas of the hospital. A two-cell cabinet measures 52” wide by 24” deep by 78” high.