Surgical supply distributors want to do more than just "sell you stuff," said Gerard Buckland, director of national accounts of the surgery center division for McKesson, one of the largest distributors of medical and surgical supplies in the country. "We want a relationship with you."
To build that relationship, Mr. Buckland said distributors can help ambulatory surgery centers improve performance in the following areas:
* Accounting software. Many ASCs don't take advantage of modules they already have, such as SourcePlus' PCX, which can help ASCs manage supply orders and keep track of invoices.
* CSOS Manager. The Controlled Substance Ordering System Manager, co-developed by the DEA, allows providers to reduce the procurement time for Class II controlled substances by submitting DEA Form 222 electronically and ordering them online from wholesalers.
* Single-use device reprocessing. Yes, this pathway still controversial, but ASCs that buy reprocessed devices often can save more than 50 percent of the cost of the original products. Since the FDA issued strict standards for reprocessing, the number of reprocessors has shrunk to three.
Learn more about McKesson and ASCs.
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