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Slaying the budget-killers

Hospital Materials Management, November 1, 2008

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Although costs for medical commodity products appear to be leveling off in a recession-plagued nation, a battle to keep other product costs down quietly rages on. That fight pits materials executives against physicians, with billions of hospital budget dollars at stake, in a struggle over scores of physician preference items, which are high-dollar specialized products doctors seek for patient care.

Hospitals able to gain at least some degree of control over these items can reap dividends that reach into the millions of dollars annually. The potential gains may dwarf even those derived from improved supply chain management and higher-quality information management systems. Despite the clear need for fiscal restraint, the path isn’t smooth. For a materials manager to wrest even a modicum of control from physicians over product decisions requires a mixture of patience, pluck, and politics. However, inroads are being made, alliances are forming, and help is available.

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login.

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