How to Choose Medical Equipment Suppliers You Can Actually Rely On
Choosing a good medical equipment supplier is a more involved task than choosing a good office supplies vendor. A downed pharmacy fridge or malfunctioning piece of equipment required to deliver care to patients could cause you to lose medications, fail audits, and/or disrupt the delivery of patient care. Unfortunately, many practice owners realize the importance of choosing a good medical equipment supplier once they experience an equipment failure.
There are distinct differences between a good (reliable) medical equipment supplier and a bad (unreliable) medical equipment supplier. In addition to the obvious difference in the reliability of the products supplied, perhaps the biggest difference is how well a supplier supports their customers. As mentioned previously, any company can sell you medical equipment when it is functioning properly. However, when you require assistance with compliance issues, need help right away due to a breakdown, or experience an equipment failure that causes you to shut down, a good supplier becomes priceless.
Good suppliers know their product inside out. They also understand the regulatory environment that their customers operate in. A good supplier can answer technical questions without having to call someone else. Because medical devices are so complex, and each type of device has its own unique set of regulations, usage characteristics and operating parameters, a generic supplier will never completely understand these aspects of your device.
While it is possible that the level of expertise of a good supplier will be evident through the sales process, it is typically not apparent immediately. All vendors will make claims of being knowledgeable and responsive. To move past the surface, you must ask more probing questions.
Questions to Help Assess the Reliability of a Supplier:
Firstly, ask them about their experience providing support to organizations like yours that provide medical care. A supplier that serves mainly hospital clients may not fully understand the limitations and needs of a clinic-based client. Likewise, a supplier that specializes in commercial refrigeration may not fully understand the unique regulatory requirements of a pharmaceutical cold storage facility.
Next, inquire about their ability to serve you, as a client. Do they employ trained technicians? Will they be able to come to assist you in a timely fashion should you have a service issue at 2 am on a Saturday? What is their policy for handling equipment failures? Many suppliers act as middlemen. They will sell you the medical equipment, but then outsource all the maintenance and service to third-party contractors. Knowing who will come to assist you when your vaccine refrigerator shows a temperature alarm at 2 am on a Saturday is critical.
Extended warranties offered by a supplier can also give you insight. Companies that believe in their products will offer longer warranties with clear language. Warranties with unclear terms and a multitude of exclusions indicate that the supplier does not have confidence in their products. Furthermore, examine what types of services a supplier offers after the warranty expires. Does the supplier offer service contracts? Can you obtain replacement parts years after purchasing the equipment?
Healthcare-focused suppliers, such as Rollex Medical, generally provide better long-term support than suppliers that focus on providing general equipment. Healthcare-focused suppliers provide better long-term support than suppliers focused on general equipment because they understand the severity of the consequences if medical refrigeration or other critical equipment fails.
Regulatory Compliance Requirements
Many suppliers fail to provide adequate support for regulatory compliance for medical equipment. Medical equipment must meet certain requirements. Pharmaceutical storage requires TGA compliance. Vaccine storage requires cold-chain compliance. Documentation and record-keeping requirements for audits vary. Suppliers that do not understand the regulatory requirements for your type of business may sell you medical equipment that meets the regulatory requirements for your type of business, but not for your specific use.
Characteristics of good suppliers include proactive discussions about regulatory compliance requirements. Good suppliers will ensure that you understand the regulatory compliance requirements for your business. Good suppliers will provide you with documentation that will satisfy auditors. Good suppliers understand what certifications are relevant and what certifications are just marketing hype.
Bad suppliers will tell you that their products meet “all applicable standards.” Bad suppliers may be completely unaware of the regulatory compliance requirements for your business, and may sell you medical equipment that will result in citations and penalties against your business during audits.
Before selecting a supplier, ask them detailed questions regarding regulatory compliance requirements. If a supplier cannot clearly, concisely answer your regulatory compliance questions, continue searching for a supplier that can.
Cost/Value
The least expensive medical equipment supplier is not always the supplier that provides the best value. Conversely, the supplier that charges the highest prices is not always the supplier that provides the best quality. Your goal is to identify a supplier whose price is fair for the value you receive.
A medical refrigerator that is priced lower than the market may have sacrificed insulation quality, temperature control accuracy, and alarm systems to achieve the lower price. Ultimately, the cost-cutting measures taken by the manufacturer will create problems for you. When medical equipment seems like a great value, but ultimately fails early or maintains an inconsistent temperature, you can expect to spend additional money to replace the failed equipment or repair the temperature inconsistency.
Similarly, high-cost medical equipment also exists. Some suppliers charge a premium for features that are unnecessary or for brand names that provide no greater performance than the mid-range options.
Good suppliers will assist you in determining why you are paying the price you pay for the medical equipment. Suppliers will explain to you the factors that contribute to higher costs and those that contribute to lower costs. Suppliers will provide you with an honest assessment of when premium features are justified and when standard options will suffice. Suppliers will not attempt to convince you to purchase the most expensive option simply to increase their revenue.
Partnership Long Term
Medical equipment is not a one-time purchase. You will likely require some form of support for a number of years. Thus, the supplier you select will become a long-term business partner, regardless of whether you anticipate that partnership or not.
Consider how they interacted with you during the sales process. Were they responsive? Did they actively listen to your specific needs or did they only discuss their standard products? The way they treated you before the sale will represent the way they treat you after the sale.
Evaluate their history of selling medical equipment to healthcare providers. How long have they been in business? Have they established a reputation among healthcare providers? Do they have references from healthcare providers that have purchased their products and received support from them for many years?
Also, evaluate the scope of their product offerings. Suppliers that offer a wide array of medical equipment products and brands will allow you to have flexibility as your needs evolve over time. Suppliers that offer only a limited product line or limited brands will require you to establish separate relationships with different suppliers for different needs.
Cautionary Flags
There are a number of indicators that suggest suppliers you should avoid. These include: aggressive sales tactics designed to force you into making a quick decision. Suppliers that cannot provide detailed technical specifications. Suppliers with unclear warranty terms. Suppliers that do not have a field service capability. Suppliers that are vague when asked about regulatory compliance.
You should also be cautious of suppliers that constantly criticize their competitors. Suppliers that are confident in their products and do not negatively speak about their competitors are preferable to suppliers that consistently criticize their competitors. Constant criticism of competitors indicates that a supplier has little to praise about their own products.
Another indicator to watch for is a supplier that does not have a structured methodology for providing support after the sale. Suppliers that do not have a systematic approach to providing technical support, responding to service calls, and obtaining parts will be difficult for you to work with when you need support.
Conclusion
Finding a good medical equipment supplier is a balance between meeting your current needs and finding a supplier that will provide support to you for a long period of time. While the cheapest supplier may not ultimately be the most economical supplier, the supplier that best understands your needs as a healthcare provider, can provide the best technical support, and provides the best warranty terms will generally provide the most value. When evaluating multiple suppliers, take the time to ask difficult questions, seek references, and understand the value you will receive for your money. A reliable supplier will become a valued partner to help you maintain continuity of your operations. An unreliable supplier will become a continued source of frustration and expense.