A hospital warehouse is a department in a hospital where medical supplies are stored. Such supplies include intravenous (IV) solutions and tubings, first aid products (band aids, wound dressings, gauze, etc.), protective equipment (gloves, gowns, masks, etc.), personal care products/toiletries (wash basins, bedpans, diapers, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, patient belonging bags, drinking cups, etc.), feeding tubes, foley catheters, respiratory supplies and orthopedic supplies (crutches, arm slings, splints, etc.). Items in the warehouse may be distributed to various departments within the hospital (such as the emergency room, operating room, intensive-care unit, etc.), through a centralized requisition system which determines what supplies are needed and the amount to each department.
Also known as "materials management" in some facilities, the warehouse staff uses a dedicated inventory system which determines the amount of items that are distributed and where they are delivered to. This helps the buyers order more supplies when the stock is running low or completely out.
Medical pumps and sterile instruments (surgical instruments, etc.) are not always located in the warehouse; in many hospitals they are stored in a sterile processing department, which is usually nearby or adjacent to the warehouse.
Hospital warehouses are typically located near a loading dock, where deliveries from medical supply companies are received. Medical supplies and other products get shipped, often via delivery companies, and received at the warehouse, and then are delivered to the recipient.