When pharmacies purchase packaging supplies, price matters. It should. But the price per case, roll, box, or unit is only one part of what a packaging purchase can mean to the operation.

How much product will actually be used? How much inventory needs to be stored? Are you maintaining multiple versions of essentially the same supply? How often are you placing orders? And is the product well matched to the application it was purchased for?

None of those factors necessarily appear on an invoice. They can still affect what a pharmacy ultimately gets from its packaging spend.

The goal isn’t to spend more. It’s to make sure the products you’re buying, and quantities you’re buying, make sense for the way your pharmacy operates.

The Lowest Unit Price Isn’t the Whole Equation

Buying a larger quantity can reduce the cost per unit. If the pharmacy regularly uses that product and has room to store it, that may be exactly the right purchasing decision.

But consider a different scenario.

A pharmacy purchases a larger quantity of a specialty packaging product to secure a better unit price. Usage changes, however, and months later a significant amount of that product is still sitting on the shelf.

The pharmacy may have paid less per unit, but did it actually save money?

Price and value aren’t always the same calculation.

Order quantity, usage rate and storage should be considered alongside unit price, particularly for products that aren’t consumed at the same rate as everyday supplies.

When More SKUs Mean More to Manage

Packaging inventories have a way of growing.

A new service requires a different product. A staff member orders an alternative. An older product remains in inventory after a workflow changes. Another version is added for a specific application.

Over time, a pharmacy can find itself stocking several similar labels, bags, forms or other packaging supplies.

Every additional SKU may mean another product to monitor, store and reorder.

That doesn’t mean fewer choices are always better. Different applications often require different products. The question is whether each product in inventory still has a clear purpose.

Periodically reviewing packaging SKUs can uncover products that are no longer necessary, duplicated elsewhere or being purchased in quantities that no longer reflect actual usage.

A Good Price Can Lose Its Advantage When You Need It Tomorrow

Consider another common purchasing situation: a pharmacy is running low on an everyday packaging supply.

Now the purchasing decision isn’t simply about unit price. Product availability, shipping and timing enter the equation.

An unexpected rush order can mean expedited freight, staff time spent locating an alternative, or a last-minute substitution.

That makes inventory planning part of the cost equation, too.

For frequently used products, knowing typical consumption and maintaining appropriate inventory levels can help pharmacies take advantage of favorable purchasing options without creating unnecessary stock, or unnecessary emergencies.

The Right Product for the Application Matters

Two packaging products may appear similar on a purchasing screen but perform very different jobs inside a pharmacy.

A product that isn’t well suited to the application may result in unused inventory, additional ordering or the need to purchase a replacement sooner than expected.

For example, a pharmacy adding a new service may automatically order the packaging it already uses elsewhere in the operation. But the new workflow, patient population or dispensing process may have different requirements.

The better question isn’t necessarily: “Which product costs less?” It’s: “Which product makes sense for what we’re trying to do?”

Getting that answer right at the beginning can be more valuable than correcting the purchasing decision later.

Don’t Overlook the Cost of Purchasing Itself

There is another cost that rarely appears on a product invoice: the process of purchasing.

How many vendors does the pharmacy use for packaging and supplies? How many individual orders are being placed? How much staff time goes into monitoring inventory, locating products and managing those orders?

There may be opportunities to consolidate purchases across product categories, simplify ordering or source more of the products the pharmacy already uses from one place.

That doesn’t mean consolidation should be the goal at any cost. It means the purchasing process itself is worth evaluating along with the products being purchased.

Look at What You’re Buying, and Why

Packaging doesn’t have to be the most expensive line item in a pharmacy to deserve attention.

Labels, bags, vials, compliance packaging, strip and pouch supplies, forms and other everyday products are purchased repeatedly. Small decisions made across those categories can add up over time.

A periodic review can start with a few straightforward questions:

• Are we buying quantities that reflect actual usage?
• Are we carrying products or SKUs we no longer need?
• Are frequently used supplies available when we need them?
• Are the products we’re purchasing appropriate for their applications?
• Could any purchasing be consolidated or simplified?
• Are we considering overall value, not simply price per case?

The answers don’t necessarily point toward a more expensive product. In some cases, they may identify opportunities to spend less, carry less inventory or purchase more efficiently.

More Choices Can Create Better Purchasing Opportunities

PAS Packaging offers a broad selection of packaging products and pharmacy supplies across labels, bags, vials, compliance packaging, strip and pouch supplies, forms and other everyday pharmacy needs.

That range gives pharmacies the ability to explore different products, quantities and options based on how their operations actually work.

Because when it comes to packaging costs, what’s printed on the invoice matters. So does everything that happens before and after it.

Explore PAS Packaging products or talk with a PAS specialist about the packaging needs of your pharmacy.