Healthcare is a challenging industry in many ways. That includes ensuring you have the best and most modern equipment, which in turn means innovative healthcare storage solutions. Healthcare storage involves many constantly changing, industry-specific challenges that you need to solve.

Challenges of healthcare storage:

Infection Control

An essential in all healthcare settings is Infection Control. In an environment where there is an increased risk of germs, and also a greater chance that vulnerable patients will be more susceptible to infection, there needs to be constant attention to cleanliness and on avoiding contamination.

Security

Whilst medical supplies need to be accessible, they also need to be secure. This does not just mean preserving the sterile environment, but also ensuring that they are only available to authorized professionals. Equipment such as syringes, scalpels and other sharp objects, as well as various drugs, can be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands.

Regulation

The way in which healthcare resources are stored is not entirely in the hands of the provider. There are also legal regulations to consider. People working in that environment should be aware both of localized policies and wider laws. Any potential healthcare solutions need to be vetted for compliance with the rules.

Temperature

Many products need to be stored at certain temperatures, most notably those that need to be kept cold. Without appropriate temperature controls, products may become unusable. Humidity also needs to be considered. Maintaining the proper temperature can present other challenges, such as an increase in energy costs.

Space

Many healthcare environments are busy, full of constantly moving people and equipment. That can make it hard to simply find enough space to store everything. Less frequently used equipment can take space away from the basic essentials, or patient care, particularly if it is large.

Variety

Some items that need to be stored in a healthcare setting are small and delicate, others large and cumbersome. They can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, with different requirements for keeping them usable and safe. That means that most healthcare environments are going to need a variety of different storage methods.

Healthcare storage solutions

There may be a lot of challenges, but in the modern world, new solutions are constantly being developed to deal with the changing nature of healthcare storage. Utilizing new technologies and best practices, EVERHUTCH can help ensure safe and effective storage for a variety of healthcare products.

Infection Control starts with the materials used to make your storage units, which should maximize antimicrobial properties. As well as construction and design allowing dirt to be wiped away regularly, there should be scheduled deep cleaning sessions where everything can be taken apart for a thorough cleansing. Good ventilation and filtration systems can help preserve sterility in rooms as a whole.

Security involves proper labeling and tracking of all drugs and equipment, and ensuring that all storage containers have effective locking systems (whether with manual keys, electronic keypads or a combination of locks).

To keep temperatures at the correct level, clearly there must be adequate monitoring systems. You need to track temperatures, and make sure units are sealed so those temperatures can be maintained. Trying to keep temperature sensitive materials in one area can help reduce space and costs expended.

Other ways to manage space include adjustable storage solutions where you can customize factors such as the number of drawers depending on your needs. Mobility is also key to adequate space management, as it means you can move storage units out of the way or to where they are most required.

Working in healthcare storage involves recognizing the changing nature of the healthcare industry and being able to adapt accordingly. It is a combination of tried and tested methods with new technology that allows storage to remain sterile and secure, efficient in size and space, compliant with regulations and adjustable for different situations.