Which statement best describes a principle of good inventory control in a hospital setting?

Which statement best describes a principle of good inventory control in a hospital setting?

• A. Tracking lot numbers only, no disposal, minimal controls.
• B. Randomized stocking, no disposal of expired items, no regulatory compliance, inaccurate counts.
• C. Accurate counts, FIFO, cycle counts, regulatory compliance, timely disposal of expired items, and safeguarding stock.
• D. Frequent stockouts acceptable.

Answer: (C)

Effective hospital inventory control hinges on accurate counts, traceability, and timely management of stock to ensure safety, availability, and compliance. The best statement captures this by outlining accurate counts, first-in, first-out (FIFO) usage, regular cycle counts to verify accuracy, regulatory compliance, timely disposal of expired items, and safeguarding stock from loss or misuse. Together these practices keep inventory reliable, reduce waste, and support safe patient care. The other scenarios describe weak or chaotic controls—tracking only lot numbers without proper disposal and safeguards, randomized stocking with no disposals or compliance and with inaccurate counts, or tolerating stockouts—each of which undermines safety, accuracy, and availability.

Effective hospital inventory control hinges on accurate counts, traceability, and timely management of stock to ensure safety, availability, and compliance. The best statement captures this by outlining accurate counts, first-in, first-out (FIFO) usage, regular cycle counts to verify accuracy, regulatory compliance, timely disposal of expired items, and safeguarding stock from loss or misuse. Together these practices keep inventory reliable, reduce waste, and support safe patient care. The other scenarios describe weak or chaotic controls—tracking only lot numbers without proper disposal and safeguards, randomized stocking with no disposals or compliance and with inaccurate counts, or tolerating stockouts—each of which undermines safety, accuracy, and availability.