Two identical bins of gauze can hold two different products, and a count that misses the difference throws off your year-end number. Mixed items are the most common reason a count has to be redone. To keep track of medical inventory correctly, you need one process for the drugs and a second process for everything else in the building. We count both, and each side calls for its own method.
Two Inventories Under One Roof
There is a dual purpose to any hospital or clinic count. The drugs themselves are one inventory. Everything else that has to be accounted for is another.
What Belongs to the Pharmaceutical Inventory
Medications are specific to the pharmaceutical count. Bags of IV fluid fall here as well, since they carry a drug product that has to be tracked by unit.
What Belongs to the Materials Inventory
Bags, labels, gloves, and empty IV bags are all materials. So are band-aids, sutures, splints, gauze, and wash basins. Anything you might see in a hospital that is not a drug still has to be counted.
How We Keep Track of Medical Inventory in the Pharmacy
The pharmaceutical side moves faster because the labeling is built for it.
Barcode Scanning First
Medications are typically captured by barcode scan. The code is standardized, easy to locate on the package, and it removes most of the guesswork from the count.
Manual Entry When a Scan Will Not Read
Some items have to be entered by number instead. Our counters key those in directly rather than skipping the item or estimating a quantity.
Pro Tip: Before your count date, pull damaged or unreadable packaging off the shelf. Every item that cannot be scanned slows the entire team down.
Need expert help with pharmaceutical and materials counts? Contact Monarch Inventory Services for a free consultation.
Why Supply Counts Take Longer Than Drug Counts
Materials inventory is the more time-consuming and detail-oriented half of the work. The identifiers are less obvious, and the items arrive mixed together.
Reference Numbers and Product Codes
On supplies, we are looking for reference numbers and product codes rather than medication codes. They sit in different places on different packaging, and reading them correctly takes practice.
Sizes, Bins, and Separation Before Counting
A one-inch gauze wrap and a two-inch gauze wrap are separate line items, and they are often sitting in the same bin. We separate them before a single number gets recorded. The same applies to wash basins and rinse basins. We have to determine what an item is before we can determine how many there are.
Key Takeaway: Identification comes before quantity. A fast count that groups two product sizes into one line is a wrong count.
Habits That Help You Keep Track of Medical Inventory Year-Round
Accurate medical inventory tracking is easier when the storeroom supports it.
Organize Bins by Single Product
One product and one size per bin cuts separation time and reduces miscounts on the day of the inventory.
Keep Labels Facing Forward and Legible
Visible barcodes and reference numbers let counters scan and move. Faded or turned labels create manual entry that no one planned for.
Work With a Team That Counts Both Sides
Pharmaceutical and materials inventories call for different skills, different pacing, and different attention to detail. Our counters handle both, so your drug room and your supply room close out on the same schedule with numbers you can defend.
Schedule your free consultation with Monarch Inventory Services today and let our team show you the reliable way to keep track of medical inventory.
