Saying healthcare purchasing is complicated is akin to saying apples and oranges are different. While both statements are clearly true, we sometimes find procurement teams don’t have the right information to compare supplies like wristbands and labels accurately. To help you make accurate comparisons – apples to apples and oranges to oranges – this post will look at units of measurement and other variables to consider.
Comparing Medical Labels
One of the most challenging medical supplies to compare across vendors is medical labels. With other items like phlebotomy tourniquets or lab coats it’s as simple as dividing the cost of a case by the quantity included.
If you compare a 4” x 4.5” direct thermal multi-part label with a three-inch core, you’ll find different prices from different major suppliers:
- Supplier One: $219.37
- Supplier Two: $172.94
We just made your life easier, right? Just pick the lowest price, and you are all set. Or are you? If you’re not paying attention to the units of measure, you could be paying way more than you expect.
Comparing Units of Measure
Using the examples above, supplier two’s labels look like a great price. However, their unit of measure is a single roll of labels, or 750 total. If you take the price and divide it by the unit of measure, the price is $0.23 per label. Although the total price of supplier one’s labels looks higher, the unit of measure is a box, with two rolls and a total of 2,000 labels, a cost of $0.09 per label.
For labels, the essential information you need to make accurate comparisons include:
- Printer type – direct thermal, thermal transfer or laser
- Size/type of labels – overall size and any perforations
- Core size – the diameter of the center of the roll
- Wind type – the way the labels spin off the roll
- Unit of measurement – usually noted as price per box or roll
Additional Challenges Comparing Patient Identification Bands
Similar to labels, it can be challenging to make an accurate comparison of medical ID bracelets. Consider the following options:
- Supplier One: ScanBand® DR Adult 1″ Core, 5.8″ Outer Diameter, White – $550.21
- Supplier Two: Zebra Adult Thermal Transfer Wristband – Z-Band 4000 – 1″ X 11″ – White – $303.92
Both are direct thermal wristbands. Using the same process as above, you can see that the supplier one’s ScanBand® is $0.31 per band ($550.21 divided by 1,800, from six rolls of 300 bands) and supplier two’s Zebra bands are $0.26 per band ($303.92 divided by 1,200, from four rolls of 300 bands).
Factors Beyond Price
Knowing the price per item for labels and wristbands is only part of the problem in making accurate comparisons. For labels, you need to make sure the label prints with your existing hardware. You may have hundreds, or even thousands, of SKUs for labels in your system already. Luckily with Caresfield labels, there are simple plug-and-play solutions.
Like labels, medical ID bracelets must work with your existing hardware. Wristbands can be even more complicated because of the role they play in patient safety. In addition to cost, you must weigh comfort and durability to help ensure your healthcare system is equipped to provide exceptional care.
Other factors you may want to consider include GPO rebates, where your labels are manufactured and whether your vendor has a reliable supply of product. Finally, you should consider your vendor’s safety stock. It’s a common theme in healthcare since the pandemic. For Caresfield, we manufacture labels at our Lakeville, Minn., headquarters and store most of our products domestically.
Finding Cost Savings
Once you have all the data to make accurate comparisons, you can make the best choices for your health system or hospital. If labels and ID wristbands aren’t a top priority for you right now, let Caresfield do the heavy lifting for you.
Our Certified Healthcare Label Technicians can drop by for a brief visit that won’t interrupt operations to gather samples. Then we’ll provide an accurate quote based on the products you currently use and your expected patient volume. It takes little work on your part, and you could find significant cost savings!
Looking for more information on how to convert on medical labels or patient ID bands? Check out our blog post 6 Tips for a Headache-Free ID Band and Label Conversion.
Related: Medication Labels 101: Categories, Regulations, and Best Practices
