Ordering for a Saskatchewan clinic comes down to three numbers: how many gloves one chair burns in a month, how many pouches a week of instrument sets consumes, and how much shelf space you are willing to give each. A two-chair practice usually settles on one case of exam gloves plus two 200-piece packs per pouch size, reviewed monthly instead of reordered once the shelf looks thin. The 3.5 x 9 inch sterilization pouches, 200 per pack are normally the first size ordered, because they hold a standard extraction and restorative set without wasting paper.
How many gloves does a Saskatchewan clinic order at a time?
Gloves move faster than any other consumable, so the case count is really a usage estimate. Count the gloves used during one typical day at the chair, multiply by the number of clinical days in the month, then add roughly ten percent for retries, training and the front desk. A chair that runs six hygiene appointments a day usually lands in the 2,000 to 2,500 glove range per month, which is two to three 1,000-glove cases.
Ordering in cases rather than boxes keeps the size mix stable and makes the monthly spend predictable. A starting mix of 40 percent medium, 30 percent small, 25 percent large and 5 percent extra small is a reasonable first guess for a hygiene-led practice; adjust it after two months of actual counts rather than after one busy week. The nitrile examination gloves, 3.5 mil, 1,000 per case are the usual workhorse line for both hygiene and restorative work.
How many sterilization pouches should you keep per size?
Pouches are consumed per instrument set, not per procedure, so count sets instead of patients. A clinic that processes 40 sets a day across four sizes will use roughly 800 pouches a month, split unevenly: the 3.5 x 9 and the 5.25 x 10 sizes carry most of the load, while the small 2.5 x 4 size is used for single instruments such as mirrors and probes.
A par of four to six weeks of each size is workable when a supplier confirms stock at the time of order. Two weeks is too thin for a rural practice that relies on inbound freight, and three months ties up cash in paper that may be re-specified before it is used. Re-count the shelf on the first Monday of each month and write the count on the order sheet, so the next order is a subtraction rather than a guess.
| Line | Pack or case count | Typical par, two chairs | Reorder trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrile exam gloves, 4 mil | 100 per box, 1,000 per case | 1 to 1.5 cases | Half a case left |
| Sterilization pouches 3.5 x 9 | 200 per pack | 3 to 4 packs | 1 pack left |
| Sterilization pouches 5.25 x 10 | 200 per pack | 2 to 3 packs | 1 pack left |
| Sterilization pouches 2.5 x 4 | 200 per pack | 1 pack | Half a pack left |
| Indicator tape | 3 rolls per set | 2 sets | 1 set left |
What changes the case count you actually need?
Procedure mix is the first lever. An orthodontic or surgical-heavy practice reprocesses more sets per patient, so pouch use per chair rises well above a hygiene-led practice. Staff count is the second lever, because every new clinician adds glove turnover before they add procedure volume. The third is whether single-use items are being reused after a clean rather than reprocessed properly, which quietly cuts pouch and indicator use and hides a compliance problem behind a healthy-looking budget.
Lead time is the fourth and the one most often ignored. A reorder point without a confirmed lead time is a guess with a spreadsheet around it. Ask the supplier what the current lead time is for each line before you set the trigger, and record the answer next to the par figure.
How do you place a bulk order without overstocking?
Split the order into a core line that ships monthly and a top-up line that ships when the count crosses the trigger. The core line is gloves, the two main pouch sizes and indicator supplies; the top-up line is the odd sizes, specialty tape and seasonal items. That split keeps the storeroom workable and makes it obvious which lines are genuinely moving.
Consolidating onto one account also removes the freight surprises that make a case look cheap on the quote and expensive on arrival. Clinics ordering three or more lines can move to case pricing through wholesale and multi-site ordering, which also keeps invoices per site instead of per parcel. Reselling? become a distributor.
Related reading
sterilization monitoring collection; size mix and case quantities for Alberta clinics; glove par levels per chair per month
Take the paperwork with you: print the sterilization log sheet, pre-fill a week of cycles with the log generator, or ask a sterilization compliance specialist to review how the records line up with the load sheets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many gloves should a two-chair Saskatchewan clinic keep on hand?
Two to three 1,000-glove cases is a workable par for a two-chair hygiene-led practice, which covers four to six weeks of use and leaves room for a late delivery.
Is it lower cost to order pouches by the case or by the pack?
Case quantities lower the per-pouch cost, but only if the sizes actually move. Ordering the two main sizes by the case and the small sizes by the pack avoids paying case pricing for paper that sits for a year.
How often should par levels be reviewed?
Monthly, on a fixed date, using a shelf count rather than a memory of the last order. Review again after any change in chair count, procedure mix or staff numbers.
CliniEco Medical is a licensed medical device establishment (MDEL #35334).
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