How Do I Select Appropriate Surgical Supplies?

As a healthcare manager, one of your top responsibilities is ensuring that your team of doctors and nurses have access to all of the medical equipment and consumables they need. This can be easier said than done, particularly if you are in charge of a large metropolitan hospital. Medical supply management is a comprehensive process that requires forward thinking, organisational skills, and agility.

Fortunately, you don’t have to do it alone. By partnering with the right medical equipment provider, you will benefit from expert, tailored advice about purchasing surgical supplies in Australia. 

It should come as no surprise that the development, manufacturing, and advertisement of medical equipment is a highly regulated field. After all, these devices are used directly on patients and are meant to help rather than cause harm. 

Before purchasing any type of equipment or device, ensure that it has been entered in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, confirming that it can be legally supplied in Australia. These regulations are designed to protect both patients and healthcare workers, so be sure to stay aware of your rights and responsibilities when purchasing surgical supplies in Australia. 

Your clinical team is likely to require a mix of capital and consumable products. Understanding the difference between these two is a start; you then need to identify your responsibilities to each.

Capital equipment refers to devices that are nonexpendable, tend to be quite expensive, and have a long life-span. An ultrasound machine, for example, is capital in nature. As a healthcare manager, you will need to organise maintenance for capital devices to ensure they continue to function accurately.

Consumable products, on the other hand, are disposable items that are usually quite cheap and bought in bulk. They won’t require maintenance, but you will need to keep a close eye on inventory levels to make sure you’re not running too low. Consumable products may be disposable, but they’re equally important as capital equipment. A doctor can’t safely examine a patient without gloves — so don’t run out!

One of the best ways to simplify the process of purchasing surgical supplies in Australia is by investing in procedural kits. These kits can be either set or customised to suit your clinical needs. They contain a variety of consumables and small devices that are commonly used for a particular procedure.

With a procedural kit by their side, doctors won’t have to worry about supply levels or the accessibility of equipment. 

Organising the purchase of surgical supplies is a significant responsibility. While there’s no doubt healthcare workers within your own team who can provide advice and assistance, you can’t put a price on the peace of mind that comes from partnering with a qualified and professional medical equipment supply company. Such a business can give tailored recommendations on products and methods of monitoring equipment functionality and supply levels. 

Report this Page