It’s no secret that the American healthcare system is facing a lot of challenges including the supply chain issues. Hospitals and healthcare systems know firsthand that medical supply shortages and shipment delays impact everything from patient health and safety to patient experience.
Prior to the global pandemic, it wasn’t uncommon for hospitals and health systems to encounter supply chain issues when looking for medical supplies. In fact, many organizations found that when they ordered supplies months in advance of the delivery date, those supplies did not always arrive on time and unforeseen problems may have delayed entire shipments.
Over the last few years, supply chain issues and medical supplies shortages have surged due to the Covid-19 pandemic, natural disasters, the Russia-Ukraine war, cyberattacks, international trade concerns, etc. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a wide-range of medical supplies have continuously been in short supply ranging from examination gloves, surgical gowns, and laboratory reagents to specimen-collection testing supplies, saline-flush syringes, and dialysis-related products. Even when things get back to normal, chances are there will always be supply chain gaps and medical supply shortages from time to time. The good news is if your hospital is struggling with supply chain issues, you’re not alone.
There are a few options that you can take to limit the medical supply chain issues that impact on your healthcare system’s operations. For starters, you can choose to wait it out, resume normal operations and hope that things go back to normal; anticipate demand and buy in bulk (if you can source the product); or seek alternative sources that might be more reliable like third-party distribution services.
Utilizing third-party distributors may provide faster delivery times, help source hard-to-find medical supplies, and reduce cash flow pressure. By consolidating orders and partnering closely with suppliers, many third-party distributors gain the power to bargain for better prices thereby offering cost savings. Because distributors work to anticipate customers’ supply needs and stock warehouses with these medical supplies, they can keep your hospital or health system stocked with the right products at the right time. Thus, enable your health system to continue providing the same level of anticipated treatments and service that your patients expect.
In search of a third-party medical supply distributor? HMG can help. We are tactical distributors who can offer immediate access to some of the highest quality medical products in the market despite ongoing supply chain issues. We source a wide selection of medical supplies – from syringes, needles and IV extensions to examination gloves, gowns and surgical masks.
Call us today at 833.464.2426 to learn more about our medical supplies/products and how we can help.