Switching suppliers is a hassle, so most practices only do it when something's gone wrong — a stockout during a busy week, a price increase with no warning, or a rep who's stopped returning calls. If you're evaluating a new distributor (or reconsidering your current one), here are the questions that actually matter.

1. Can they tell you their fill rate?

A supplier that can't tell you how often they ship complete orders on the first try probably isn't tracking it — which means you're the one finding out the hard way, mid-procedure, when something's missing.

2. Is pricing transparent, or does it change based on who you talk to?

Ask for a straightforward price list. If getting a clear answer takes three phone calls, that's a preview of what ordering will feel like every month.

3. Do they carry the sterilization monitoring and infection control lines you actually need — not just gloves and bibs?

A lot of distributors are strong on general disposables but thin on compliance-critical categories like biological indicators, chemical indicators, and washer testing products. If you're sourcing those from a second supplier, ask why you're not consolidating.

4. Can they source Canadian-made or Health Canada–licensed products where it matters?

For certain product categories, sourcing and licensing details matter for your own compliance documentation. A distributor who can speak clearly to where products are made and what's licensed saves you a step later.

5. What happens when something's backordered?

Every distributor runs into backorders eventually. What separates good ones is whether they tell you proactively, offer a substitute, or just let you find out when the box arrives short.

6. Is there a real person you can reach, or just a portal?

Portals are fine for routine reorders. But when you need someone to problem-solve — a product substitution, a bulk order for a new hire's startup kit, a question about a product you've never used — you want a human who knows your account.

7. Do they understand your practice's actual purchasing pattern?

A distributor who's paying attention will notice if your glove order is trending up before you do, or flag that you're about to run low on a sterilization pouch size. That's the difference between a vendor and a partner.

The honest answer

No distributor is perfect on all seven. But if your current supplier is missing three or more, it's probably worth a conversation with someone else — even just to have a comparison point.

Reach out to our team and we'll walk you through how we handle each of these for practices like yours.