The book “Hospital Stores Management – An Integrated Approach” is the only comprehensive textbook on the subject which is currently available. The book has been written in response to the theoretical and practical issues in stores management. It offers great opportunity for achieving cost reduction, productivity, effectivity and efficiency in the management of stores.

The authors Dr. Shakti Gupta and Dr. Sunil Kant have the knowledge, experience and expertise in all the facets of stores management in health care institutions in India and abroad. I congratulate the young authors for the enormous effort in meticulously writing the maiden book on the subject which is easy to understand, follow and apply. The book has conceptual frame-work, offers practical solutions to optimise stores functions, discusses recent trends of stores automation, inventory control, e-commerce, Info-Tech Bill-99 and their relevance in Indian context.

The book comprehensively deals with the various domains of stores management. The specimen of tenders and other forms will be of ready utility to readers and users of this book. A book on the important subject of stores management with special reference to health care institutions was long awaited. The present book has filled the existing void.

The contents are of exemplary quality and have universal applicability to all health care institutions. The book is an indispensable text and invaluable reference source for hospital administrators, heads of institutions, heads of departments, policy and decision makers at all levels and stores officers. The book will be of utility to clinicians who invariably have to interact with the stores personnel for procurement of pharmaceutical products/equipment and their maintenance.

Students and teachers of Hospital Administration, General Management, Stores Management and Pharmacy will value it as a referral and application accompaniment.

I am confident that the book will prove to be of significant utility for all those for whom it is intended. I recommend it as a mandatory reading for all concerned.

It is imperative that the store managers in health care institutions are well versed with inventory control, cost containment, quality assurance, productivity and automation of stores. Health is a labour intensive activity where 50-60 percent of the budgetary allocations are utilised for human resources and 30-40 percent for providing materials. The modern day stores managers also need to have functional and operative knowledge in equipment planning, negotiations, arbitration and other vital details in import of medical equipment. It is only then that the aim of having the right thing, at the right time, at the right cost, from the right place will be achieved.

The art of Stores Management is largely that of optimising the use of resources to meet the actual needs in an efficient manner. The stores function is the key to productivity in any organisation and requires managerial and technical knowledge. Today's changed technological environment offers challenging opportunities to the personnel associated with the materials functions. To fulfil their responsibilities they have to be fully aware of the new improvements, trends and applications in scientific materials management. This is of special relevance to health care institutions where technological advancement has permeated all the dimensions of clinical and administrative departments. As a consequence importing of equipment has become an essential requisite.

The book has been written with the basic objective of providing concise and comprehensive information on the multifaceted aspects of stores management. The theoretical and practical aspects of stores management have been dealt with in detail. Specimens of proformas have been extensively appended. This will greatly facilitate in practical aspects of effective stores management. Recent trends in store management like MUSIC-3D, Stockless Purchasing and Networking have been incorporated.

The book is intended for all the personnel associated directly or indirectly with the hospital stores function. These include store managers, store officers, hospital administrators, hospital planners, 10project managers, policy and decision makers at all levels. The book will be handy to the clinicians who want to obtain information about functional and operative aspects of stores and equipment planning including import of medical equipment and their effective maintenance. Students and teachers of health care and other establishments will find the book a useful companion for varied dimensions of stores and its allied management.

We have about eighteen years of experience in dealing with stores function at various levels viz. primary, secondary and tertiary health care institutions, Armed Forces medical establishments, National and International health care organisations like United Nations agencies and WHO. We have attempted to incorporate salient features of our experience of operational difficulties, bottlenecks and solutions in planning, operations and implementation of multifaceted and multidisciplinary domain of stores functions.

We hope that the book proves valuable to those for whom it is intended. Communication of suggestions, criticisms, inadvertent omissions and commissions from our esteemed and revered readers, will be of immense help in enhancing the utility of this book.

Our sincere thanks to the well-knit team of Jaypee Brothers especially Mr RK Yadav, Editorial Consultant, for their motivation, quality adherence, professionalism and exemplary dedication. Their invaluable contribution in the completion of the book is gratefully acknowledged.