Things You’ll Need When Starting Your Professional Medical Practice
If you’re a physician looking to start your own professional medical practice, there’s a good chance finding office supplies is one of the last things on your to-do list.
You’ve already got enough to worry about, from drawing up a business plan to hiring a professional staff, so why bother with something you can put off until later?
In reality, however, obtaining a full stock of high-quality medical supplies and equipment early is one of the most important things you can do to make sure your medical practice succeeds.
Not sure where to start? Keep reading to know what you’ll need before you start taking your first patients.
Medical Essentials
While everything on this list is important, these are arguably the most valuable items to keep in your practice and should be considered top priority when you start shopping for supplies:
- An autoclave
- An automated external defibrillator (AED)
- Emergency equipment like oxygen masks, ventilators, aspirators, and a trauma board
- Protective equipment like sterile gloves, masks, eyewear, and hand sanitizer
- Janitorial equipment
Diagnostic Equipment
Diagnostic equipment, as the name may suggest, consists of the tools a physician uses to diagnose various patient concerns. The following are some of the most common types of diagnostic equipment found in a professional medical practice:
- Stethoscopes
- Eye charts
- An ECG unit
- Thermometers
- A blood pressure monitor
- Ophthalmoscopes
- A weight scale
Procedure Equipment
Procedure equipment is used in the treatment of basic injuries and wounds. Keeping these tools on hand will enable you to see to everyday patient concerns quickly and effectively:
- Bandages
- Wipes
- Gauze
- Cotton pads
- Tissues
- Tweezers
- Hypodermic needles
- Cloth and/or paper gowns
Since many of these items are single-use, you’ll have to renew your inventory of procedure equipment fairly often. So you should make sure to factor that into your budget ahead of time.
Specialized Equipment
On the other hand, there are some things that aren’t absolute necessities for a medical practice, but are still highly preferred. These are the things that will help make your medical office run smoothly and prevent you from having to refer patients to other specialists, practices, or hospitals.
If you aren’t sure what kinds of specialized equipment you can afford, you can always talk to a financial planner for medical professionals. Here are just a few of the many types of specialized equipment to choose from:
- X-ray machines
- Lab equipment
- A fetal monitoring system
- Specialized lighting
- Wheelchairs
Other Supplies You’ll Need For Your Professional Medical Practice
Of course, there’s so much more to a professional medical practice than just the examination room and lab. You also have to consider the various furniture and supplies you’ll need to have for the front office desk, waiting room, restroom, and break room.
Yes, it’s a big undertaking. Chances are, you don’t have time to do it all on your own.
You want the best autoclave on the market, for example, but how do you know you’re really getting it? When in doubt, reach out to a financial planner.
While you’re at it, check out our blog to brush up on some of that expertise for yourself.
