If you run a hospital, nursing home, private physician practice, or clinic, you probably manage expensive equipment required to treat patients. Without proper storage, your equipment and supplies can become contaminated or expire due to poor inventory cycling. Gumbo Medical is here to help you protect your patients by following the best medical equipment storage procedures.
Why Do You Need To Store Your Medical Equipment Properly?
Knowing the best storage practices for medical supplies ensures inspection success, prioritizes safety, and promotes efficiency. It also makes it easier for your staff to find items quickly. Additionally, keeping your assets secured prevents unauthorized access and misuse, as well as wasted supplies and money.
What Problems Might You Have If You Don’t Use Proper Storage?
Improper storage can decrease the useful life of vital equipment. Avoid the following problems by following best practices and properly maintaining your equipment:
- Contamination can lead to the spread of infection.
- The effectiveness of medical equipment can be compromised.
- Misaligned equipment can lead to incorrect results.
- Improper storage can result in non-compliance with regulatory standards.
Remember to rotate your stock to ensure efficacy. It’s also important to check all supplies regularly for expiration dates to avoid safety issues for patients and staff members.
Why Is It Important To Develop A Plan For Proper Storage?
Storage inside healthcare facilities should be safe, with medical supplies only accessible to the right people. Without a proper storage plan, it’s easy to mix used and unused items, risking contamination. Additionally, proper storage makes your medical equipment easy to find and allows your staff to focus on the patients rather than finding supplies.
What Can And Can’t Be Stored?
Store working equipment and supplies properly by keeping them off the floor and ensuring they don’t touch unsterile walls and ceilings. Expired, incorrect, and damaged supplies should be removed immediately. Also, make sure you follow safe practices to dispose of inappropriate, unusable items.
What Are Medical Storage Best Practices?
Besides keeping supplies stored above the floor, you should comply with specifications and schedule regular stock checks by qualified staff.
- Don’t mix clean and dirty supplies.
- Avoid repackaging or relabeling supplies.
- Use pallets appropriately.
- Don’t store supplies under sinks.
- Give stored items buffer room.
Medical Equipment Storage Solutions That Work
From cabinets to drawer systems to exam tables with extra space, Gumbo Medical, LLC offers the products needed to keep your inventory and medical equipment safe, sterile, and accessible for use or maintenance. Contact us today to discuss your specific needs.