For context, please refer to Part I…
The rep often feels like they are set up to fail with vendor policies. The variation between each facility is hard enough to navigate, but it’s become even more challenging sourcing inventory with more ASCs and some facilities require back-ups for every tray delivered.
Those trays I am bringing in late required a minor miracle to even get to the hospital. Even after proactively calling the hospital to confirm nothing was needed, I still received a call from a hospital with a last second request that I had to scramble to accommodate. That usually means sourcing from other facilities/reps in the area.
Each of those hospitals had different check-in/out processes and protocols which are all enforced differently. It’s like if Joint Commission was visiting your hospital, but the standard requirements weren’t established, and the enforcement was random.
So, when I show up late (trying to save the case for the hospital), it can be especially frustrating when I get blocked by SPD to drop those trays off. Now I have to involve the surgeon so their case doesn’t get cancelled, and I don’t want that any more than you do.
I appreciated facilities that had an established vendor policy that was respected by the surgeon and clinical staff because they were more likely to have better upstream communication. When reps have been involved/consulted with the management of their policies a true partnership of accountability is possible.
This can start with SPD and clinical teams working as a team..