Top 5 Inventory Challenges Hospitals Face
Jun 16, 2025
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Efficient hospital inventory mangement directly impacts patient care, operational costs, and healthcare outcomes. However, hospitals often encounter significant challenges that hinder optimal inventory control. Here's a concise look at the top five challenges and quick solutions to address them effectively.
1. Overstocking and Understocking
Hospitals frequently struggle with maintaining optimal inventory levels, leading to overstocking or understocking critical supplies.
According to a white paper by Avery Dennison, poor demand visibility and overproduction contribute to an average waste of 3.4% of inventory annually which is about $64.5 Billion.
Quick Solution: Implement real-time inventory tracking software. Modern solutions like Zelthy's medical inventory management sustem leverage AI-driven analytics to maintain balanced inventory levels, minimizing waste and shortages.
2. Expired and Obsolete Supplies
Inefficient tracking often leads to medical supplies becoming obsolete or expiring, causing waste and financial losses.
While not all of the estimated $760-935 Billion in annual U.S. healthcare waste is due to expired supplies, inventory mismanagement is a key contributor, especially in supply waste and overtreatment categories (PubMed).
Quick Solution: Utilize inventory solutions with expiry tracking and automatic alerts. This helps hospitals proactively manage supplies, significantly reducing waste.
3. Inefficient Manual Processes
Reliance on manual inventory management is error-prone, time-consuming, and inefficient, slowing operations and increasing costs.
A study in ScienceDirect found that using automation and computer vision led to a 67% reduction in overcounting errors and 85% drop in undercounting errors, showcasing how automation dramatically improves inventory accuracy. Aditionally, companies that have adopted AI for demand forecasting and stock level optimization have experienced up to 85% improvement in forecast accuracy, helping them better align inventory with consumer demand (Carmatec).
Quick Solution: Transition to automated inventory management systems. Barcode and RFID scanning technology streamline operations, reducing human error and saving valuable staff hours.
4. Poor Visibility and Tracking
Hospitals often lack comprehensive visibility into inventory movements, leading to mismanagement and misplaced items.
Research shows that real-time data and inventory analytics can improve inventory accuracy and reduce costs by 10-30%, depending on the systems in place (Cyzerg).
Quick Solution: Invest in integrated inventory dashboards for complete visibility. Platforms like Zelthy offer intuitive dashboards providing real-time insights into supply chain operations.
5. Compliance and Regualtory Issues
Ensuring regualtory compliance in inventory management can be complex and challenging due to changing healthcare regualtions and standards.
HIPAA violations can incur fines ranging from $100 to $50,000 per violation, and FDA violations can reach up to $10,000 per infraction—with even higher penalties for repeated or willful non-compliance (Keragon).
Quick Solution: Adopt comprehensive inventory management solutions equipped with built-in compliance modules. Zelthy's solutions ensure continuous alignment with healthcare compliance standards, simplifying audits and regulatory adherence.
Solve Inventory Challenges Effectively with Zelthy
Addressing inventory challenges quickly and effectively requires robust, user-friendly solutions. Zelthy's inventory management platform offers advanced analytics, automated tracking, real-time inventory visibility, and built-in compliance features designed specifically for healthcare.
Discover how Zelthy can transform your hospital's inventory management today—schedule a quick demo to explore tailored solutions.
Want to dive deeper into inventory best practices? Check out our comprehensive guide on Hospital Inventory Management Best Practices.
