Pharmacy Supply Chain Management
The pharmaceutical industry is the backbone of the healthcare industry. Without the pharmacy industry, the wheel of healthcare will not run. Even in a hospital, no clinical services can be provided without pharmacy supplies. So, the basic onus of empowering healthcare is with the hospital's pharmacy.
The efficiency of a hospital and the effectiveness of its healthcare delivery depend on hospital pharmacy management. Timely order, availability and utilization of medical and pharmaceutical supplies is a main factor that contributes to the hospital's quality of clinical service. To ensure a high degree of clinical competence, the healthcare operations management at the hospital always focus on optimizing hospital pharmacy management. This can be done only by streamlining the hospital's pharmacy supply chain using the able services of an expert healthcare consulting firm.
The efficiency of a hospital and the effectiveness of its healthcare delivery depend on hospital pharmacy management. Timely order, availability and utilization of medical and pharmaceutical supplies is a main factor that contributes to the hospital's quality of clinical service. To ensure a high degree of clinical competence, the healthcare operations management at the hospital always focus on optimizing hospital pharmacy management. This can be done only by streamlining the hospital's pharmacy supply chain using the able services of an expert healthcare consulting firm.
What is the need for hospital pharmacy management?
A crucial need for hospital pharmacy management has been felt by hospital due to following reasons.
- Every hospital needs pharmacy supplies and these are managed by the hospital's pharmacy supply chain. But with healthcare budget being on a tight leash and a constant pressure to improve performance while cutting down costs, every hospital must focus on its hospital pharmacy management.
- The material requirements for medical and pharmacy supplies are endless and to supply them, a complex network of suppliers and vendors has to be traversed before the medicine reach the patient. In order to achieve operational efficiency without compromising on patient care, the hospital must regulate its hospital pharmacy management.
- As a business enterprise, every hospital has to make a profit to sustain its presence in the healthcare market. One way of ensuring this is by streamlining the hospital pharmacy management.
- Quick and timely delivery of pharmacy supplies is imperative to enable the treatment and recovery of the patient. This is possible only with an efficient hospital pharmacy management.
All the above reasons necessitate the prevalence of good hospital pharmacy management in a hospital and this can be done only by enlisting the services of a competent and experienced healthcare consulting firm.
Challenge faced in hospital pharmacy management at a hospital
Every hospital faces the following hurdles in its hospital pharmacy management.
1. Drug shortage
Drug shortage is the #1challenge faced by every hospital in its daily routine. Drugs and medicines are prescribed and used up every day at hospitals in a continuous manner. Some drugs are common and regularly used and are hence heavily stocked. Some rare or expensive drugs may be stocked in limited quantity. But when an emergency arises, every type of drug should be available and at the physician's disposal. This is possible only with a good hospital pharmacy management system.
1. Drug shortage
Drug shortage is the #1challenge faced by every hospital in its daily routine. Drugs and medicines are prescribed and used up every day at hospitals in a continuous manner. Some drugs are common and regularly used and are hence heavily stocked. Some rare or expensive drugs may be stocked in limited quantity. But when an emergency arises, every type of drug should be available and at the physician's disposal. This is possible only with a good hospital pharmacy management system.
2. Wastage of supplies
Pharmacy supplies are expensive items and every hospital must keep track of the items used on a daily basis. Most ho[ptal do not update their inventory to be on par with the current requirement. As a result, drugs are ordered, they sit on the shelf for months and expire. Such gross wastage of supplies can be avoided with proper hospital pharmacy management.
3. Distributed computer network
In most hospitals, the computer network is distributed with one computer handling accounts, another handling stocks, a third handling logistics of supplies etc. When such a distributed system exists, there is bound to be chaos. Every hospital should have a centralized computer network to handle its pharmacy supply chain. This calls for prudent hospital pharmacy management.
4. Other issues
Improper inventory, multiple dispensing sites for pharmacy supplies and inefficient workflow are the other major operational hazards for hospital pharmacy management.
As seen above, every hospital faces numerous challenges in executing its hospital pharmacy management. It is not possible for the hospital's healthcare operation management to remove these bottlenecks singlehandedly. This is why the hospital should seek the recommendations and suggestions of an expert healthcare consulting firm in optimizing its custom pharmacy management to achieve better efficiency and success.
