Practice Playbook · Inventory
What to Stock, What to Route
The fastest way to lose money on a dry eye program is to stock the wrong things. The fix is a simple rule: shelf the fast movers, route everything else. This is how to draw that line so you capture the sale without carrying dead inventory.
Key Takeaways
- Stock what sells fast and is needed today. Route what is specialty, bulky, or recurring.
- The shelf is for instant gratification; RescueLink is for everything that can ship.
- Every recurring refill belongs on the route side, on auto-ship, where it compounds without tying up cash.
- Watch your own data: a slow mover on the shelf is a signal to route it, not reorder it.
- Done right, you capture nearly every sale while holding a small, fast-turning shelf.
Quick Answer
Stock the handful of items most patients need immediately and that turn quickly: a go-to lubricant, a lid hygiene option, a heat mask, a starter kit. Route everything that is less common, bulky, expensive to hold, or recurring, and put refills on auto-ship through RescueLink. The shelf exists for the patient who needs something in hand today; RescueLink covers the rest. Let your turn rate move items between the two sides over time.
The Decision Rule
For any product, ask what kind of demand it has. The answer puts it on a side.
| If the item is... | Then | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A fast mover most patients need | Stock it | High turn justifies the shelf space and captures the same-day sale |
| Needed in hand today | Stock it | Instant gratification keeps the patient from buying elsewhere |
| Specialty or less common | Route it | Low, unpredictable demand makes shelf stock a liability |
| Bulky or costly to hold | Route it | Ties up cash and space for little turn |
| A recurring refill | Route it on auto-ship | Compounds as recurring revenue without inventory risk |
Dry eye is a chronic condition that typically requires ongoing therapy rather than a single course (TFOS DEWS III), which is why the recurring refills belong on the route side, on auto-ship, where they build a durable revenue layer.
Let the Data Move the Line
The stock-or-route line is not fixed. Review turn every so often. An item that sits is telling you to route it; an item you route constantly is earning a shelf spot. Adjust from your own numbers, and pull new movers from the wholesale catalog as patterns emerge.
Route Side, Zero Inventory
RescueLink is the route side of the rule. Anything you choose not to stock still reaches the patient by text or email with one-tap ordering, same-day shipping, and auto-ship on the recurring items, so you capture the sale while holding nothing.
DER Clinical Pearl
When you are unsure whether to stock something, route it first. It is far easier to promote a proven route-side item onto the shelf than to clear a shelf of stock that never moved. Start narrow and let demand earn the shelf space.
Frequently Asked Questions
What belongs on the shelf?
The few items most patients need and that turn quickly: a go-to lubricant, a lid hygiene option, a heat mask, and a starter kit or two.
What should I route instead of stock?
Specialty and less common items, large or costly-to-hold products, and every recurring refill. Low or unpredictable demand is the signal to route.
Why route the recurring refills?
Because they compound as recurring revenue on auto-ship without tying up cash or shelf space. That is the most profitable side of the line.
How big should the shelf be?
Small and fast-turning. If an item is not moving, it should come off the shelf and onto the route side.
How often should I review the line?
Periodically, against turn. Promote constant route-side items to the shelf and demote slow shelf items to route.
Does routing lose the sale?
No. With RescueLink the patient still orders in one tap with same-day shipping, and the reorder stays in your practice. You capture the sale without the inventory.
What about patients who want it right now?
That is exactly what the shelf is for. Stock the instant-need items; route the rest.
Where can I get help setting the line?
Reach providers@dryeyerescue.com or (561) 468-8747 to talk through a starting shelf for your patient mix.
Shelf the Fast, Route the Rest
Browse the catalog to pick your fast movers, or activate RescueLink to route everything else with zero inventory.
Continue through the Dry Eye Practice Playbook
Part of the Dry Eye Practice Playbook. Operational guidance only; the right stock mix depends on your patient base and demand. Dry Eye Rescue is a distributor of medical supplies and over-the-counter products.