This boils down to what game mechanic you want to implement. Games, gaming, playing a game is about rules and optimisation.
Oh sure, there are other things that are also called "games", but are not games according to the gaming definition but according to other criteria, like having a non work fun experience. Kinetic visual novels are not games just like snakes and ladders is not a game. You have zero control over the outcome, you cannot "game".
what goes into the thought of how easy it is to allow a player to access their tools
Not much in most cases, I would guess. Monkey see, monkey do. I believe that games can be made better if there is actual thought put into this. What is the game about? Is it about the boss fights, the story, multiplayer aspects, manual dexterity, puzzle solving, etc?
If your game is about resource management, obviously this part of the game should have a lot of focus and be made well.
For other games, resoucre management is often just a thing of quality of life and the developer either not putting development time nor thought there. If your fights are made in a way, that you can power through them, if you just had enough health potions, those fights are badly designed.
Unless of course you plan your resource management to be part of the fight. Rogue like deck builder games come to mind.
But also, if you want to have outside combat resource management. You need to earn the gold for those potions in the first place. If that is hard to do, that is your limitation. If it is too easy, you can limit the inventory. You might want to bring some plausibility and immersion into this, like having weight or carry limits. But that can also just lead to players loading a save game and taking the right equipment with them.
So, as I said, it depends on what parts of the game you want to be gameable and be part of the game mechanics.