Running a clinic means keeping exam gloves, underpads and hundreds of other consumables on hand without wasting money or storage space. If you manage a clinic, dental office or long-term care facility and supplier emails are full of terms like SKU, par level and reorder point, this glossary is for you. Eleven supply-room terms, each with a plain definition and a clinic example.
Quick Facts
- Par level: the quantity you restock an item back up to.
- Reorder point: the low count that triggers your next order.
- Safety stock: buffer for late deliveries and busy weeks.
- Lead time: days between ordering and receiving.
- FIFO/FEFO: use the oldest or soonest-expiring stock first.
- A stockout disrupts care; dead stock ties up cash.
Core Clinic Inventory Terms: SKU, Unit of Measure and Case Pack
SKU
SKU (stock-keeping unit) is the code for one distinct product: one item in one size, colour and pack count. The blue 4-mil nitrile exam gloves in 100-count boxes are one SKU; the same glove in large is another SKU. In Canada, exam gloves are medical devices, so standardize on a licensed glove SKU.
Unit of measure (UOM)
UOM is the unit you count and order in: box, case, roll, pack or each. Clinics track gloves by the box of 100 and underpads by the pad; suppliers quote by the case. Mixing boxes and cases in one column is where stock errors start.
Case pack
Case pack is how many units arrive in one carton. A 50-pack case of underpads arrives vacuum-compressed, and a wholesale case of gloves holds 10 boxes of 100. Run monthly usage through the case pack before ordering.
Par Level Meaning, Reorder Point and Safety Stock
Par level
Par level is the target quantity that should be on the shelf after restocking. Staff use stock down between deliveries, and each restock brings the shelf back to par. If par for medium exam gloves in the treatment room is four boxes, restock to exactly four.
Reorder point
Reorder point is the stock count that triggers your next order. Par says how much you want; reorder point says when to act. Using two boxes of gloves a week with one-week delivery, a reorder point of three boxes covers the lead time with one to spare.
Safety stock
Safety stock is the buffer above expected use for late shipments and busy weeks. A clinic with reliable weekly delivery may keep one extra case of gloves; one that orders less often may hold two weeks of use.
Lead time
Lead time is how long delivery takes after you order. Track real lead times per supplier, since this number sets your reorder point and safety stock. If underpads take ten days to arrive, plan ten days ahead.
Stock Rotation: FIFO, FEFO, Expiry Tracking and Dead Stock
FIFO and FEFO
FIFO (first in, first out) means reaching for the oldest stock first. FEFO (first expired, first out) is stricter: use what expires soonest, even if it arrived later. When fresh underpads arrive, put them behind the current case.
Expiry tracking
Expiry tracking is a record of each lot's use-by date plus a routine for checking it. Gloves and underpads carry expiry dates; stock past them is money lost. A monthly shelf check, or a date marked on each case, is enough.
Stockout
A stockout is hitting zero while an item is still needed. Running out of medium gloves mid-morning means borrowing from another room or reaching for an ill-fitting size.
Dead stock
Dead stock is inventory that expires or becomes obsolete before use, like that case of small underpads nobody wants. It ties up cash and costs money to discard; order steadily instead.
Clinic Inventory Terms at a Glance
| Term | In one line |
|---|---|
| SKU | Code for one product, size and pack. |
| Par level | Quantity you restock up to. |
| Reorder point | Count that triggers an order. |
| Safety stock | Buffer for late deliveries. |
| Lead time | Days from order to delivery. |
| FIFO / FEFO | Use oldest or soonest-expiring first. |
| Expiry tracking | Log of use-by dates. |
| Stockout | Out of stock when needed. |
| Dead stock | Stock that expires unused. |
| Unit of measure | Unit you count in. |
| Case pack | Units per carton. |
Worked Example: Setting a Par Level for Exam Gloves
Here is how par works for medium exam gloves. Suppose the clinic uses eight 100-count boxes a week, reviews stock every two weeks, and delivery takes one week.
The reorder point is one week of lead-time use (eight boxes) plus two boxes of safety stock: order when the shelf hits ten boxes. Par adds the sixteen boxes used between reviews, giving twenty-six. When stock hits ten, order sixteen boxes to return to par.
Revisit the numbers quarterly, and adjust when weekly use changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a par level and a reorder point?
Par is the target you restock to; reorder point is the count that triggers the order. At a par of twenty-six boxes and a reorder point of ten, you order at ten and restock to twenty-six.
Should we count gloves by the box or by the single glove?
Use the unit your staff handle, and stay consistent. Most clinics track exam gloves by the box of 100 and underpads by the case of 50, matching how staff restock and suppliers quote.
What should we do with expired gloves or underpads in storage?
Remove them from active storage so nobody uses them, then dispose through your facility's regular waste stream. Note why they expired, usually over-ordering, and lower that par level.
The point of these terms is having the right product on the shelf when a clinician reaches for it, not building paperwork. Start with one high-use item, set a par, and order on a fixed rhythm. CliniEco supplies 4-mil nitrile exam gloves in 100-count boxes and vacuum-compressed underpads in 50-pack cases, so par levels convert cleanly into orders.
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