Why Healthcare Facility Labs Should Consider Lot Sequester
It's an underrated lever to pull for increasing efficiency
In our recurring Ask Our Experts feature, three Medline leaders tackle common customer questions from clinical, financial and operational perspectives.
Angela Carranza, MBA, Medline Director of Clinical Solutions–Perioperative, Acute Care Sales
Lot sequestering can help improve both operational efficiency and testing consistency in an environment where diagnostic results directly impact patient care. Laboratory results guide critical clinical decisions across the healthcare continuum, from emergency interventions and surgical procedures to chronic disease management and treatment planning. Frequent lot changes can require additional validation and quality control testing, causing workflow disruptions that may affect laboratory productivity. By providing access to a dedicated lot over a defined period, lot sequestering can help reduce these interruptions, allowing laboratory professionals to spend more time focused on delivering accurate and timely results. In today’s healthcare environment, where laboratories face increasing testing demands and workforce challenges, maintaining efficient operations is essential. Lot sequestering helps support continuity, consistency and workflow optimization. In turn, laboratories are better equipped to provide reliable diagnostic information clinicians need to make informed decisions and deliver high-quality patient care.
Christopher Earle, Medline Vice President, National Field Sales–Physician Office, Non-Acute Care
A facility should consider lot sequestering because it can help lower the overall cost of running an in-house lab while protecting revenue. In a physician office, for example, the lab is the backbone of the practice, delivering critical results for clinical decisions while keeping revenue in-house where it belongs. By having dedicated lots set aside and shipped as needed, the lab can reduce the number of lot-to-lot validations required — less wasted testing material, less staff time on paperwork, and more time focused on patient care. Lot sequester also helps protect against supply disruptions. When supplies are backordered, testing may have to be sent out, which can take revenue away from the practice. Having dedicated inventory available when needed helps keep testing in-house and reduce the need to carry excess inventory on the shelf.
Megan Schwellenbach, Medline Vice President, National Field Sales–Laboratory
As healthcare laboratories are pressured to improve efficiency while maintaining quality, lot sequestering offers a practical solution that can help support both goals. By reserving inventory from a single product lot, laboratories can reduce the frequency of lot changes that require validation, recalibration and additional quality control activities. This helps improve workflow efficiency and allows staff to focus more on patient testing and care. Lot sequestering promotes testing consistency by maintaining the same lot over an extended period, helping reduce variability and simplify quality management. When paired with the right distribution partner, laboratories can gain dedicated inventory management support, proactive supply planning and greater visibility into product availability. In an environment where operational efficiency, reliable results and continuity of supply are essential, lot sequestering can help improve laboratory performance while reducing administrative burden and supporting better patient outcomes.
