Materials management is generally cost and efficiency driven, however, quality assurance is its critical aspect. This study explores system of inspection of hospital supplies. It captures an important quality indicator, the percentage of items rejected before goods receipt note generation on inspection, in the store of a tertiary care public hospital in India.

 

A prospective study was conducted in the store in 2017. Direct observations were conducted. Details of items rejected and reasons were captured by the researchers while carrying out the inspections as part of the stores inspection committee.

There was a well established system of inspection of hospital supplies with all requisite tools. An inspection committee strategically composed of qualified hospital administrator with insight for both quality & supply chain management, nurse administrator with eye of a user and store manager. Percentage of items rejected was initially higher at 3.8% but subsequently lower (up to 0.76%) thereby suggesting that it leads to quality improvement besides setting benchmark for similar hospitals. The reasons for rejections were invalid test reports, supply from manufacturers not approved, items non complaint to approved specifications or different model, short expiry items, “X-hospital supply-not for sale” not stamped, etc.

Stringent and objective evaluations against predefined criteria are a means to achieve quality assurance of drugs and consumables in hospitals. Notable is strategic inclusion of nurses as users and qualified hospital administrators in the stores inspection committee. The findings are a benchmark quality indicator for other similar hospitals.

Key words: Quality Improvement; Materials Management, Hospital; Hospital Administration; Equipment and Supplies, Hospital.