Equipment and Wot Not

What should you keep in mind if you plan on buying medical supplies? Medical supplies are vast and varied and chances are, only the most well stocked hospitals have the range of equipment needed to handle a wide range of ailments. Most hospitals have a supply staff that keeps their equipment rooms functioning and well supplied.

But for private home use or for smaller clinics that do not have an extensive staff to supply goods to them, making sure that you are getting the correct medical supplies is absolutely imperative.

First off, you need to assess what kind of equipment you should be purchasing in the first place. Try to figure out what kind of services are needed most and try to find out what would be required to keep your practice functional.

Purchasing the most basic medical supplies is of course, a given. A doctor or any medical practitioner should own a stethoscope to monitor different types of auscultation from the heartbeat to lung sounds. Another piece of equipment that is absolutely required in a clinic would be an otoscope, which is also called an auriscope. It is used for checking the ears and to investigate any symptoms associated with ear pain. An otoscope can look into the outer and inner ear, and also check for fluid build up and allergic reactions. An ophthalmoscope is used to examine the eyes of a patient. Other important basic tools include a penlight for shining light into orifices, a sphygmomanometer for checking blood pressure, a medical weighing scale for keeping track of a patient's height and weight, and reflex hammer to check for neurological disorders.

If you work with children think about equipment that may make their experience a little less daunting. You can buy lots of equipment themed around children such as fun fob watches and patterned tourniquets.

Also keep a good stock of disposable medical supplies such as face masks, medical gloves, tongue depressors, cotton swabs, bandages, disinfectants, cotton pads, and the like.

However, for larger medical supplies you would have to factor in the costs and the profit return. You should also establish the length of need, on whether you would need it as a permanent addition to your armamentarium or if it will be there only for a set amount of time.

When purchasing things such as hospital beds, examination tables, and wheelchairs, you have to factor in the weight of your patients. If your patients are primarily children, you can opt for lighter wheelchairs than the heavy duty ones that are meant for adults.

Next, you have to make sure that your equipment is properly installed. Have a specialist install your new equipment for you. This will prevent damage to your new equipment and ensure that they are functioning properly. If you have a larger clinic, you can hire a biomedical equipment technician (BMET) to handle your supplies and keep them functioning.