When you’re running a healthcare facility, you want to make sure you’re stocked with all the healthcare products you need to protect your staff and provide the highest level of patient care.
But COVID-19 has thrown a wrench in the healthcare supply chain, making it harder for physician offices, surgery centers, and other healthcare systems and facilities to get the supplies they need—whether that’s a medical device, surgical instruments, surgical supplies, or other high-quality medical products (like masks, gowns, and other PPE).
That’s why now, more than ever, it’s important to know the largest and most reliable medical distributors. When you know the different resources available to you and your healthcare facility, you can tap into a variety of sources to get the supplies you need to navigate through the pandemic.
Here are five of the largest medical supply distributors that you’ll definitely want to know if you’re looking for ways to support your office, clinic, or healthcare facility; stay on top of your inventory; and keep your medical supply inventory stocked for your staff:
With over $214 billion in annual revenue, the Texas-based McKesson Corporation is the wholesale medical supply distributor in North America. McKesson offers a huge variety of products to support healthcare facilities and professionals, including supplies for post-acute care, surgical supplies, and supplies to support both medical practices (like syringes, gloves, and masks) and healthcare systems (including supply chain and inventory management technology). McKesson also offers products and technology for pharmacy and speciality practices.
In addition to an extensive product portfolio featuring brands from the major healthcare product manufacturers, McKesson also offers over 4,000 products through their private label, McKesson Brands. And because the company is so large (and has distribution centers across the country), McKesson also offers next-day delivery to over 95 percent of the US. (Although it’s important to keep in mind that shipments may be delayed due to COVID-19).
To request more information on McKesson and how to become a customer,
get in touch with their sales team.
AmerisourceBergen Corporation (also known as ABC) offers a variety of solutions to support health systems, physician practices, pharmacies, and medical manufacturers. With over 35 years of experience and an expansive global distribution, AmerisourceBergen acts as the exclusive distribution partner to over 65,000 community practices, getting doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals the supplies they need quickly and reliably so they can focus on what matters most—patient care.
While AmerisourceBergen offers a variety of healthcare solutions, they’re especially well-known for their Oncology Supply program, which holds the top spot for contract performance ranking in oncology.
To request more information on AmerisourceBergen and the medical supply ordering process,
fill out their contact form.
Henry Schein, Inc is a medical supply distributor that serves a wide variety of healthcare clients (including dialysis centers, occupational health centers, and emergency centers), but a huge portion of their business is based around serving individual providers. In fact,
according to their website, Henry Schein is the “largest global healthcare distributor of medical supplies, services, point-of-care diagnostics and equipment to physician offices.”
And being that they’re such a large provider, Henry Schein’s product selection is expansive. From medical-surgical supplies to pharmaceuticals to medical office supplies, the website offers a huge variety of products to help support your staff and patients.
To order products through Henry Schein, all you have to do is
create a free account; once you’re signed up, you can order products and have them shipped to your office directly from their website.
Another huge US-based medical supply distributor, Cardinal Health works with over 10,000 specialty physician offices and clinics, offering a
huge selection of medical and pharmaceutical products ranging from basic patient care supplies to more advanced cardiovascular medical devices—and just about everything in between. If there’s something you need for your medical inventory, chances are, you can find it in Cardinal Health’s extensive catalog and order directly through
Cardinal Health Market.
Cardinal Health has also implemented a
strategic COVID-19 response plan to support the medical supply chain, better serve their customers, and effectively distribute critical medical inventory to healthcare front-line workers so they have the supplies they need to treat their patients safely.
Medline Industries serves a huge variety of healthcare facilities (including acute care, surgery centers, assisted living centers, hospice care, and physician offices) and has an extensive array of product categories, ranging from general medical (including gloves, nursing supplies, and pharmacy) to speciality (including foot and ankle, urology and ostomy, and anesthesia) to administrative and office (including office supplies, equipment, and furniture).
In addition to medical supply distribution, the company also offers logistics, supply chain, and business solutions for healthcare facilities—so if you’re in need of back end support to more efficiently manage your office or clinic, Medline could be a potential partner to explore.
Online Medical Supply Retailers
In addition to the major players listed above, there are a variety of online retailers that sell medical supplies, including:
While these retailers won’t have everything your facility needs for patient care, they can be a great additional resource for filling gaps in your supply chain and finding basic medical supplies (like wound care, incontinence supplies, infection control, supplies for home care, and certain medical equipment).
Stay on top of your ordering and inventory management—and make sure you have what you need to treat your patients and protect your staff
Effectively managing your supply chain is a must in running a successful medical practice. But in today’s climate, when COVID-19 is causing disruption in the manufacturing and distribution of supplies, it’s more important than ever to stay on top of your inventory management and ordering. Talk to your doctors, nurses, and front-line healthcare workers to see what supplies they’re using. Stay on top of your inventory. Place orders well in advance to ensure you get your supplies on time—even if shipments are delayed because of the pandemic.
The more proactive you are with managing your inventory and ordering your medical supplies, the better you’ll be able to navigate the current supply chain issues—and the better off your healthcare facility, staff, and patients will be as a result.
