Reprocessing of Single Use Items

[Joan Perkins]

Would anybody that is using a third party reprocessing company be willing to share their policy with me?

[Harvey Johnson]

Check your PM's, I will email you our third party SUD policy.

[CSS TECH]

Do hospitals really benefit from this reprocessing program? At least mine does not! SterilMed charges my hospital 50% of the price of any reprocessed item, and when the items are returned, doctors refuse to use them. Then we keep packing them up all over the place. Now I don't know how many tons of reprocessed instruments we have. It's like people in my facility are helping SterilMed make money. From the beginning, most of the doctors clearly said they would not reuse anything, but the program keeps going. I thought it was because of some kind of contract, the program has been going for many years now though.
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[sheper1]

It really depends on what you are reprocessing and also the amount of buy in from the Doctors. At my facilities we are only reprocessing the scd sleeves, foot sleeves, and tourniquets. We have been doing this for about 3 years now and the first year are savings where $70,000 this past year are savings top $100,000. Not all items reprocessd items save a company money. I would get the director of Material Management, OR director and the finance diorector together and show them the wasted cost by continuing this process.

[CSS TECH]

Thanks Sheper1! I will follow your advice. Your post is an eye-opener!

[jrc]

doctors refuse to use them.
Why? Every single item that gets reprocessed is inspected by the reprocessor. No Original Equipment Manufacturer inspects every item. The people who refuse to use a reprocessed item simply because it is reprocessed are not looking at this rationally.

[CSS TECH]

Why? Every single item that gets reprocessed is inspected by the reprocessor. No Original Equipment Manufacturer inspects every item. The people who refuse to use a reprocessed item simply because it is reprocessed are not looking at this rationally.
I really don't know why! Probably they don't trust the reprocessed items because the manufacturers specify "Single Use Only". To be honest with you, I am not a fan of those reprocessed items either, especially those used in surgeries.
In my facility, they reprocess burrs, blades, trocars, disposable scissors, etc... It see it as a way to help SterilMed make money. The facility doesn't benefit from the program at all.