materials manager? No one is better positioned to know exactly
which items are used during cases and which get routinely thrown
away. That's the case at my facility, where surgical tech Eugene
Zamora is also the materials manager in charge of tracking supplies,
managing par levels and ordering. He assesses the contents of our
custom packs on a monthly basis. Vendors make up the packs 2 to 3
months in advance, so it takes time for requested changes to reach
the front line, but the constant reviews ensure changes are made as
soon as possible and the packs only include essential supplies.
Post prices in the OR
Everyone on the surgical team should be aware of what
supplies cost. If they know what your facility is spending on
individual items, they might think twice about opening
something if it's not needed or a less expensive option is available.
Hang sheets in your ORs
that list the costs of certain
pricey supplies. The next
time a surgeon wants to
open a little-used supply —
sutures, burrs or cautery
tips, for example — a quick
point by the surgical tech
will remind him to check
how much it will add to the
case's expense. The sur-
geon might realize it's best
to leave the item unopened
on the case cart until it's
truly needed.
2
4 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 1 6
• ALWAYS AWARE Review custom packs regularly to deter-
mine if the supplies they contain need to be updated.
Thomas
Durick,
MD
