Equipment replacement dilemma

[Seaglass]

At my service, we're supposed to replace supplies from the hospital stockroom, taking no more than we used on the patient we just brought in. We can sometimes take more if we're running low from calls where we didn't transport or if another stockroom was out of something. However, that's supposed to be rare.

Well, it's not. The crew before me is frequently not restocking, so I'm finding myself having to take more than I should really often. I've mentioned this to my supervisor, who says not to worry and to just go ahead and take whatever we need. There's no record of what we take at one hospital, although they do keep track of when supplies run out. However, I hear that other people have gotten fired for stealing when the hospital complained. I have no idea if they were seriously stealing or just doing the same thing I am, but I'm a bit concerned now. Any thoughts?

My county won't let me restock drugs as a basic, so that's not an issue. It's all just stuff like IV bags and starter kits, NRBs, and gauze.

 

[RyanMidd]

Buck stops at your supervisor if he told you to restock your supplies as-needed.

If you're still iffy, have him write & sign something to the same effect. I can't see someone being prosecuted on grounds of "stealing" if they are replenishing ambulance supplies from cabinets they are allowed to use.

Stealing, to me, would equate to pocketing things like almost-expired meds, or grabbing a portable O2 tank for home or something.

 

[VentMedic]

or grabbing a portable O2 tank for home or something.

O2 should be included in the accountability for meds and for reusable items. The facility that signs for delivery of those O2 tanks from the Oxygen company are accountable for each and everyone. Someone also has to be accountable that these tanks are maintained.

Medications and IV bags should also be held to a strict counting system and there should be some type of sign out sheet for each item.

This "free for all" status will only last so long until the hospital ED must account for the cost of their supplies. The hospital may go to a voucher system and start charging the ambulance service. Or, the ambulance service may become responsible for purchasing their own supplies and figuring out how to restock between calls.

Also, if all the supplies are coming from the hospital stockroom and the ambulance charges for those supplies as well as the hospital ED, there could eventually become an issue with double billing for supplies. It all depends on how the ED and the ambulance service charges are broken down.

 

[rescue99]

Vent is right. Inventory control is always a concern. The EMS company may be required to provided their own supplies to cover any unbillables or missing one-for-ones. Depends on the arraingement with the area facilities. There is no reason to worry about being accused of theft if one knows exactly what is and is not approved.

 

[exodus]

Whenever you pull supplies, write down what you take, and how many, and then a serial number if there's one on the packaging.

 

[RyanMidd]

I was under the impression that he's just restocking things like band-aids, gauze, 4x4s, and the like, from cabinets that are designated for EMS use...

 

[VentMedic]

I was under the impression that he's just restocking things like band-aids, gauze, 4x4s, and the like, from cabinets that are designated for EMS use...

Those supplies are NOT free. In fact, they can quite expensive especially in the numbers it takes to keep some ambulances supplied. If the hospital has designated a section specifically for EMS and keeps a check on that inventory for their cost budget, that could be a different story. However, if the supplies are coming out of the common stock for the ED, the cost and inventory will have to be balanced especially if more is going out than patients coming in. It can also put a strain on the ED if they look for something and an EMT(P) took the last one and did not inform the central distribution of the empty box. There is nothing worst than to have several patients in the ED and find out the stockroom has been plundered and looted by EMS, private ambulances and whackers. Thus, most of our EDs no longer furnish any supplies to any ambulance. We even went to colored sheets and EMS providers have their own cabinet with sheets just for EMS and are not on the hospitals' budget.

 

[RyanMidd]

the stockroom has been plundered and looted by EMS, private ambulances and whackers.

I lol'd at that.

But I misinterpreted the OP. Sorry for the confusion, and I agree with budget/accountability/record-keeping.

 

[Seaglass]

Thanks, everyone! Helpful stuff. I think I'm going to email the supervisor confirming the policy, which will give me written authorization. As for the hospital's lack of organization and security for certain supplies, there's not much I can do aside from personally documenting what I take.

Hopefully I'm just paranoid, and I'll never actually need any of that.