List of Must-Have Medical Office Supplies

If you’re a physician leaving residency training, you might choose to enter a solo practice. If this is the case for you, there is a lot of planning to consider for your medical office. One of the main concerns of opening a new office is gathering the necessary medical office supplies and equipment.

The Difference Between Medical Equipment and Supplies

You may be wondering, “how are these different?” For our purposes, medical office supplies are the necessities that are perishable, consumable, or otherwise may be depleted/worn over time (including furniture). Whereas, equipment constitutes the instruments which will not ever need to be purchased again (unless they break) that are to be utilized for medical diagnostics, etc.

Medical Office Supplies for Your Medical Practice

Let’s take a look at the first of these in our comprehensive list of the medical office supplies you should invest in for your new practice, broken down by location:

Front Office Supplies:

• Desk and posture chairs for the receptionist, secretary, and anyone else who works from that location
• Wastebaskets – ones that closes for disposing food items, etc. and a few that are for general trash and recycling
• Shelves and file cabinets
• Answering machine
• Secretarial organizers/trays
• A generous stock of printing paper
• Writing utensils – pens (including a few red), pencils, markers or highlighters
• Community items such as tape, three hole punch, stapler(s), calculator(s), and general notepad(s)
• Stationery – manilla folders; claim, registration, and consent forms; letterhead and envelopes; business cards; prescription pads; laboratory slips; and an appointment calendar (even if you plan to schedule appointments online)

Reception Area Supplies:

• Upholstered armchairs, side tables, lamps, and tv sets
• Plants, mirrors, paintings, and sculptures for decoration
• Magazines, books, and toys for kids to keep guests entertained while waiting
• Water cooler and disposable cups
• Hand sanitizers

Consultation & Exam Room Supplies:

• Bookcase or rack of medical literature handouts
• Chairs for patients and family
• A sterile wastebasket/container
• Cloth gowns
• Exam table paper
• Sheets for beds

General Supplies:

• Facial tissues, paper towels, and toilet paper
• Sanitary hand foam and soaps
• Sterile gloves and exam gloves
• Assorted medical supplies such as syringes/needles, gauze pads, band aids, swabs, alcohol pads, thermometers, cotton applicators, and tongue blades

No matter which medical office supplies you decide to buy as you plan and prepare to stock your practice, it’s important to shop around and get the best prices. You may be able to find the best deals at office supply stores such as Staples or inexpensive furniture stores like Ikea. If you particularly like the supplies at the clinic you trained at or at a peer’s solo practice, ask those physicians and office managers where they bought their medical office supplies. They will appreciate the compliment as well as be able to point you towards saving some money.

Amidst the planning chaos, don’t forget to think about how your practice will handle tasks such as medical billing. Consider saving money in this area, too, by outsourcing the handling and follow-up of claims to Billing Advantage.