Materials management's role in product line development.

Product line management and product line cost accounting are terms that are appearing more frequently in the literature, and on hospital management and board meeting agendas. As regulatory and competitive pressures continue to shape the health care market, health provider organizations will put increasing emphasis on defining, developing and managing their product lines. (Product lines are much more than DRGs.) Product line management and cost accounting present the materials manager with an opportunity to become more involved with the