How to set par levels for clinic supplies (and stop running out of gloves)
A simple method for setting minimum stock levels on gloves, masks, dressings and other consumables so a small practice never runs short or over-orders.
Most small clinics manage inventory by sight: someone notices the glove shelf is thin and adds it to a list. It works until the week two providers are out, a new hire orders the wrong size, and a patient surge empties the drawer. Par levels fix this with about an hour of setup.
What a par level is
A par level is the minimum quantity of an item you want on hand at all times. When stock drops to par, you reorder enough to get back to your target. Two numbers per item, nothing more.
Step 1: Pick the twenty items that matter
Don't par everything. Start with the consumables that stop care when they run out: exam gloves by size, procedure masks, table paper, alcohol prep pads, syringes and needles, sharps containers, the two or three dressings you use most, disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer.
Step 2: Measure a normal month
Look at four to six weeks of invoices, or count what's on the shelf today and again in a month. Divide by working days to get daily usage. A three-provider family practice might use a box of medium nitrile gloves a day; a med spa with one injector might use one a week.
Step 3: Set par at lead time plus a cushion
If an item ships in three business days, par should cover at least five to seven days of use. The cushion absorbs a busy week and a carrier delay. For anything with a long or unpredictable lead time, double it.
Step 4: Set the reorder quantity
Reorder enough to reach about three to four weeks of stock. That keeps the number of orders low without tying up cash or exceeding shelf space. Case quantities usually win on price, so round up to the nearest case for high-volume items.
Step 5: Put it on the shelf, not in a spreadsheet
Write the par level on a label at the front of each bin. Whoever restocks can see at a glance whether to flag a reorder. A weekly five-minute walk-through catches everything else.
Turn it into a standing order
Once par levels have held for two or three months, the reorder quantities become a standing order: the same items ship on the same cadence and you adjust when volume changes. That's the point where inventory stops being a task and becomes a background process.
ClinicSupply US sets par levels and standing orders with every new account during onboarding. Open an account and a rep will walk through your current usage with you.