Instruments Set

Purchasing Surgical Instruments

7 Ways to Cost Effectively Purchase Top Quality German and US Made Surgical Instruments

There are steps which facilities large and small can take to manage their instrument spending more effectively.

1) Streamline Instrument sets as much and as often as possible. Identifying each instrument and having an instrument lists including part numbers will help as replacements or additional sets are needed.

2) Clearly identity which instruments do not impact surgeon satisfaction. Buy these from the low cost vendor as long as the quality provides an instrument which will hold up well. Being forced to replace instruments often will counter any benefit of reduced cost.

3) Focus your cost comparison and evaluation on the higher cost items. These items will have the most effect on your surgeon satisfaction and your budget. Use a vendor who has qualified product consultants and the resources to help you do this quickly, effectively and in an organized manner.

4) Continue to compare cost. The higher cost specialty instruments is where the greatest challenge is but also will have the most impact on your bottom line.

a. If a certain instrument or instrument vendor is preferred by a surgeon, it does not mean a lower cost alternative which will satisfy the surgeon, cannot not be located. Also consider that often an instrument is requested from a certain vendor out of habit, not always preference.

b. GPO's do a good job in lower cost of basic or general surgical instruments, and do not do a good job with specialty instruments. For example, if your surgeon requires ophthalmic surgical instruments good practice is to focus on the instruments which cost more than $ 100.00 and find a resource how can help you compare these items quickly and effectively.

5) Having an understanding of the instrument industry helps. Most of the surgical instrument suppliers in the United States do not manufacture the instruments they sell, outsourcing to a number of companies. This results in an identical instrument being multi-branded, and thus sold at varying costs, creating an opportunity to save on purchases if you compare costs between different companies. Find an instrument source who can assure surgeon satisfaction and instrument performance allowing you to compare cost even when a surgeon demands a certain brand.

6) When using your GPO verify your contracts must are current and in effect, with proper discount grading levels, before proceeding with surgical instrument purchases. All paper work must be completed by you and filed by your vendor before purchasing. Even once paperwork has been filed, pricing must still be loaded against your account. All of the above must occur to ensure savings, or you may be paying too much for your instruments.

Verify discounts when placing contracted instrument orders, as many times vendors sell products at list price and mix them in with your contracted order, without making it clear on your quote which items are discounted and which are not. If you're not sure, give your vendor a call with questions.

7) Seek expert support. Find a company which has the tools, the staff and support you need to help you.

About the Author

Donald Tray has worked in the surgical instruments field for over 20 years and specializes in high quality German and US made surgical instruments for general use as well as specialty applications.

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