Facing inventory problems, hospitals automate their supply chains

Growing shortages of medical supplies at U.S. hospitals indicate there’s much room for improvement in the supply chain. Even when inventory does meet demand, many facilities are counting, ordering and replenishing their supplies in a manner that is, at best, inefficient and costly. Experts says automating hospital supply chains can offer greater visibility, more accurate forecasting, and a means to help reduce costs throughout the healthcare continuum. Automation can reduce the need for clinical workers to engage in non-patient work and can help administrators make a better long-term planning decision. Several U.S. hospitals faced shortages of medical supplies in the Fall of 2017 after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico and temporarily shuttered some of the island’s 80 medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. The shortages weren’t too surprising given many healthcare facilities lag behind the times in supply chain technology. A 2015 survey by Cardinal Health found that 18% of respondents had heard of a patient being harmed due to a lack of supplies.