Making the Right Choice for Sterile Processing Consumable Stock Outages

By Michele McKinley

Historically, hospital inventory systems carried a large volume of consumable supplies which offered a sense of security that vital items would always be available for patient care. Large inventories came at the cost of outdated item disposals, obsolete product disposals, and tied up funds that could have been allocated elsewhere. The introduction of Just-in-Time inventory management (JIT) across all industries in the late 1970s and early 1980s reduced inventories to minimum levels, freeing cash and reducing the impact from outdated and obsoleted supplies. The change gave rise to new challenges, such as establishing inventory levels that could anticipate normal fluctuations and responding to recalls which soon became manageable with good inventory management. Today, global supply chains face increased disruptions from disasters, pandemics, and world events which have led to significant stock outages and facilities scrambling to find substitutions. Healthcare facilities must recognize and plan a systematic approach to managing supply chain disruptions that lead to out of stock situations so that patient care can safely continue.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify causes of product outages and when substitutions would be needed.
2. Establish a plan for rapid evaluation and change approval of substitution products.
3. Considerations when implementing a rapid deployment of a substitution product.

About the Author

Michele McKinley, LVN, CRCST, CIS, CHL, AGTS, ASQ CMQ/OE, ASQ CQA is a Senior Clinical Education Specialist for STERIS. Michele brings over 40 years of experience in healthcare with roles ranging from Operating Room Technician, Materials Management, Site Manager for Outsourced Sterile Processing and professional consultation in Sterile Processing, Operating Room, and Endoscopy suites.