Blog

Many people may not be aware of what Monkeypox is, the symptoms, and how it spreads. Here is a great post by Gojo, the makers of Purell with lots of information including how to prevent it.

https://www.gojo.com/en/Newsroom/Blog/2022/What-Is-Monkeypox-And-Should-I-Be-Concerned

Right now there seems to be an abundance of companies trying to offload their surplus gloves. Many are offering unbelievable prices. You might ask how can one glove be so much cheaper than another glove? There may be many reasons why. Here are a few things to consider when evaluating a glove.

1. Manufacturer - Over the past few years there have been many "Pop-up" glove companies. People have seen an opportunity to get in on the action of selling gloves to make a quick buck. We have had countless companies contact us to sell their gloves. Having been in the industry for over 30 years we know most of the reputable manufacturers out there. Many of these "Pop-up" companies will not be around when they have dumped their inventory. If you have a problem with your gloves, who will you turn to? How do you know that the gloves they are suppling meet the stringent requirements for a medical grade glove as set forth by the FDA? Are you willing to roll the dice on the safety of your staff and patients? The gloves we sell are all from reputable companies that have been manufacturing gloves for many years. They stand by their products and will be around to back that up!
2. Are your gloves Medical grade? - Prices on everything are CRAZY! Reimbursement hasn't kept up with the increased cost. We are all trying to find ways to save money. Many out there are selling gloves at prices that just seem too good to be true. How can they do that? In addition to the "Pop-up" companies wanting to dump their stock many are selling gloves into industries where those gloves are not approved. Being in the healthcare industry using just any glove will not work. Industrial gloves are cheaper for a reason. They don't go through the approval process that gloves in the medical industry need to go through. Medical grade gloves have very strict testing requirements they need to pass and therefore do cost more. Are you using a quality medical grade glove? Ask us about our medical grade gloves!
3. Quantity - For many years the industry standard has been 10 boxes of 100 gloves in a case. Now there are many more options. Many cases still come with 10 boxes but with advances in packaging manufacturers have been able to put 150, 200, and even 300 gloves in a box with minimal size increases in the boxes. Typically the more gloves you can fit in a box the lower price per glove. A couple things to be on the lookout for if you do decide to go to higher quantity gloves boxes. First, The boxes may not fit into your glove box holders. Ask about the actual size of the box to make sure they will fit. Second, Just because the glove is from the same manufacturer as the standard 100 count boxes don't assume the glove is the same. Many times the only way to get that many gloves in a box is to slightly alter the glove. This doesn't mean the glove won't perform well but it may be a good idea to get some samples.
4. Inventory - Overall we have seen a decent decline in prices since the height of the pandemic. Some stock comes in a one price while other stock come in at another. As manufacturers and distributors move through their inventory, pricing will continue to change. Check back with your supplier often to get current prices. One month your regular supplier may be higher but as they move through the inventory the next month they may be lower.

If you have any questions about gloves we offer please don't hesitate to contact us. We strive to provide as much information and transparency as possible so that you can make the best decisions for your business.

Over the past couple years our world has been changed and turned upside down in many instances.  From family and friend interactions to some businesses finding success and many others finding hardships and even failures.  We at Bio-Medic are greatly appreciative of the support you all have shown us in this time of great change and challenge.  Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, is quoted as saying "change is the only constant in life."  That has certainly been true!  While we all continue to navigate this ever-changing environment, I would like to let you all know what we are doing at Bio-Medic to help with this and to provide as much calmness as possible in this turbulent time. 

1. No more auto attendant phone answering.  We recognize that your time is very valuable. You no longer need to go through and wait to speak to someone.  Every time you call during business hours you will be speaking to a live person who will be able to help immediately.
2. Dedicated account representative.  It seems that the supply chain and product availability is not getting any better. In fact, in many instances, it is getting worse.  By having a dedicated account representative, they know you and your business and can keep you up to date on inventory levels, estimated dates on inbound stock, and quality alternative products.
3. Prices.  This is a big one.  Price changes have been almost constant the past two years and change daily.  We are working with our vendor partners to increase stock levels. This will help keep backorders to an absolute minimum, keep pricing as level as possible, and in some instances, you will see price decreases.  This month we have been able to offer a significant price DECREASE in our medical exam gloves!  We hope to lower prices even more in the near future.
4. Quality alternative products.  In this challenging time, we have expanded our product lines to offer quality products at different price points to meet all your needs.
5. Communication is Key!  We have implemented procedures behind the scenes to better keep you informed.  If you are like us, you know that many things now a days are beyond our control but being informed is not one of them.  It has been said knowledge is power.  But let me go a step further. Knowledge is power when acted upon. Product availability can be very slim at times if you don’t know you are not getting a product you can’t seek alternatives.  At the very least you should know if you are going to get the items ordered or not.  By being as transparent as possible we may lose a few sales, but we hope to gain your trust that when we say something we mean it.

We greatly appreciate you partnering with us to serve the communities you live and work in and look forward to our

We received an email from one of our glove partners last week. In this unprecedented time there are some who are willing to take advantage of people and businesses. We have seen it even with our own customers. Know who you are working with! Below is the body of the email.

In recent weeks there have been several reports of US distributors falling victim to glove scams. Collectively, these companies have lost several hundred thousand dollars on these scams. 

As we all know, the glove industry is oversold. Manufacturers do not have enough production capacity to fill demand. Worse, nitrile dipping latex production capacities are now maxed out. It’s difficult for manufacturers to obtain sufficient raw material. There is a severe shortage and no manufacturer has any excess production. Their existing customers are standing in line to buy. 

As a result, the only plentiful things in the glove business today are SCAMS. Please be aware that glove scams are rampant, and they have become a significant problem.

We see dozens of scam emails every day. All of them refer to large quantities of product, usually “millions of boxes” of gloves. This product is unlikely to exist. If the source of the offer is a party you do not know, it’s extremely unlikely there are any gloves available. Particularly if the offer is telling you there is an ongoing “monthly” quantity available. There isn’t.    

THERE ARE NO LARGE QUANTITIES OF GLOVES AVAILABLE TO BUY. 

Scammers have been presented with a perfect opportunity to take advantage of desperation, and it is easy for them to find interested parties. These pop-up companies offer gloves that they never intend to deliver. They disappear as soon as the deposit has been paid.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE COMPANY, DON’T SEND THEM MONEY. 

The following is an excerpt from an email exchange with one of our primary suppliers discussing an offer that had been sent to one of our customers:  

“We have seen it all, LC, money into escrow account, bank directly into factory accounts; but all of them will change the mode of payment midway into negotiation after deposit. There is absolutely no reason for us to supply via 3^rd party. We have the resources to reach our customers. Why would we go through a 3^rd party to sell gloves?  I can assure you 99.99% of these offers are fake. There might be possibility of reselling of old stocks into the international market but the quantity cannot be in the millions of boxes...and certainly not facilitated by any of the major glove manufacturers.  Also, all our distributors in Malaysia are barred from re-exporting.

Also think about this…most of these offers are in the millions of boxes. You know there is no way we or any manufacturer can offer this and continue to support our customers and you know this perfectly well as we are still supplying you. 30m boxes or 3B of gloves deliver over 5 months is a huge quantity. To date we have seen more than 150 of these offers….they are brought to our attention by our customers or from people reaching out to us to do verification.”

The above exchange was in late July. They had already seen over 150 separate scams at that point. 

• In June, the Royal Thai Police raided a warehouse in Bangkok that was re-packing used gloves. Yes – you read that right – there are operations re-boxing USED gloves.

• There are multiple examples of non-medical, and/or used gloves being packed in counterfeit medical glove boxes. Counterfeiting is becoming an increasingly big problem and there’s no telling what is actually in the box. In Asia it’s very easy to print whatever you want, so they print counterfeit boxes of products commonly sold in North America.  

• There are no “manufacturer consortiums” offering millions of boxes.  We have seen several versions of that particular scam. No manufacturer needs any help selling product right now, and, as we mentioned before, there are no large quantities of gloves available to sell.

• If you get a video showing you thousands of cases of gloves as proof that the product exists, look at those cases carefully. You’ll probably notice something odd. For instance, if the word “Disposable” is used where you should see the word “Exam”, those are not medical grade gloves.

Please be aware and use extreme caution when vetting these offers. Almost all of them are scams. If a known glove company is offering you product, buy it. If you don’t know the company offering you gloves, please assume it’s a scam and don’t prepay anything. 

Wishing you well,

The IHC Team

This is a great link on the importance of having a clean facemask. Besides COVID-19 contaminating the mask there are tons of other viruses and bacteria that can weaken your overall heath when you wear a dirty mask.

https://blogs.webmd.com/public-health/20200612/how-often-should-i-wash-my-face-mask