Ordering fails quietly
Nobody decides to run out of gloves. It happens because the person who orders was out, the reorder was a mental note, and the supplier’s backorder email went to an inbox nobody reads. A medical supply formulary and ordering process fixes this with three plain things: a defined list, a number that triggers a reorder, and a name next to each task.
Gateway helps independent practices in Greater St. Louis and the Metro East put those in place and keep them running.
The formulary: one list everyone orders from
A supply formulary is the practice’s approved list. For each item it records:
- The preferred product and the unit it is ordered in
- An approved substitute, chosen in advance
- The supplier and item number
- Where it is stored, including bags and vehicles
- Whether it expires or needs particular storage
- Which device it belongs to, for consumables
Clinicians approve the clinical items. Managers approve the rest. Anything missing from the list is requested before it is ordered, which keeps a shelf at one kind of foam dressing instead of four. For wound-specific lists, see our guide to building a wound care supply formulary.
Par levels and reorder points
The par level is how much you want on hand after a delivery. The reorder point is the count at which you order again. A sound reorder point covers what you will use while waiting for delivery, plus a cushion for a late truck or a busy week.
Take a practice that uses about two boxes of an item each week, with delivery taking about a week. Ordering when two boxes are left is cutting it close. Ordering at three or four leaves room. Items with long lead times need a larger cushion. Items that expire quickly need a smaller par.
We set starting numbers from your order history and adjust them after a few cycles. The first set is always a little wrong.
Who does what
Write it down, with names.
- Counting. Who counts, on which day, and in which locations. Shelf labels showing the reorder point make the count quick.
- Ordering. Who places the order, who is the backup, and what needs approval before it is sent.
- Receiving. Who checks the delivery against the packing slip, notes shortages and puts stock away with older items in front.
- Exceptions. Who handles a request for an off-list item, a recall notice or a damaged shipment.
- Review. Who looks at the list each quarter to remove what is unused and add what keeps being special-ordered.
Gateway can hold several of these roles or only the follow-up. The split is agreed at the start.
Supplier follow-up
This is the part most worth handing over. It includes confirming that orders were received, chasing backorders, applying the approved substitute or asking the clinician when there is none, reporting short or damaged shipments, arranging returns and credits, and telling the practice when an item’s availability changes.
Each open issue gets an owner and a next date. Practices that want this visible to the whole team can track it as described under workflow and reporting. Where your systems allow, reorder prompts can be automated, as outlined under workflow automation.
Equipment service belongs in the same routine
Devices need attention on a calendar: calibration, preventive maintenance, battery replacement, warranty expirations and service contract renewals. Keeping those dates beside the supply routine means one person looks at both. Service arrangements are discussed on our page about equipment purchase, lease and service.
What Gateway takes on and what stays with you
Gateway can draft the formulary from your order history, propose par levels and reorder points, prepare or place orders within limits you set, and carry supplier follow-up. Supplier availability and terms are confirmed for each product and arrangement.
The practice approves the list, the substitutes and the spending. Clinicians remain free to order what a patient needs, whether or not it is on the list. Storage conditions, infection control and recall response stay under the practice’s oversight. Clinical decisions, medical necessity, final coding decisions and claims remain the practice’s responsibility.
Starting small
Contact us through the practice support inquiry form, which takes contact details only, or at 314-325-0126. The most useful starting material is a few months of order history and the name of whoever orders now.
Begin with one category, such as wound care supplies or exam and clinical supplies. Run it for a few order cycles and review it with your team before extending it.
Common questions
What if a clinician wants something that is not on the list?
They ask for it, and it is ordered. The formulary is a default, not a restriction on clinical judgment. If the same off-list item keeps being requested, the quarterly review is the place to add it and decide whether it replaces something else.
Do we need inventory software for this?
Not to begin. A shared spreadsheet, shelf labels and a fixed count day are enough for many small practices. Software helps once you have several locations, vehicles or many patient-specific items. We add tools only where they remove work, because a system nobody updates is worse than a clipboard.
How do you handle recalls and expired stock?
Recall notices from suppliers and manufacturers are routed to the person the practice names, and we help locate affected lots on the shelf if lot numbers were recorded at receiving. Expiration dates are checked on count day. Decisions about pulling product, notifying clinicians or patients, and disposal are made by the practice.
Can one process cover an office, a second site and mobile clinicians?
Yes, with a location column on the formulary and a par level for each place stock is kept, including each visit bag. Mobile clinicians restock from a central shelf against a checklist. The count day covers every location, which is usually when missing items and forgotten stock turn up.