Hospital operations are the processes through which inputs (materials), capital, and people are combined to produce services that the public consumes. Operations management increases the value of service provided over the cost of service. Operations management is defined as the functional business area that is primarily committed to management, planning, and creation of resources that a firm utilizes in service and drug acquisition. A pharmacy is essential in health care since it is responsible for the administration of medication to patients and the quality of drugs offered. Besides, a pharmacy often negotiates with manufacturers and wholesalers to obtain the best price on drugs (Karuppan, Dunlap & Waldrum, 2016). Consequently, patients will buy medicines in the pharmacy at an affordable price. Acquisition of technologies and various equipment to ease the pharmacy’s workflow, such as the automatic dispensing apparatus that is used in the hospital units, is also part of a pharmacy’s responsibilities.
The most significant role that operations managers play in a pharmacy environment is managing the workforce involved and the tasks derived from the aim of the pharmacy to produce quality service to customers. Pharmacy operations managers have a job of overseeing the daily operations of the department. They are in charge of technicians, pharmacists, and other staff in the pharmacy environment (Milliorn, 2016). It is a manager’s responsibility to carry out evaluations of the staff performance and supervise dispensing activities in the pharmacy.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The focus of pharmacy has expanded to include cost containment, quality control, and drug therapy (Karuppan, Dunlap & Waldrum, 2016). Therefore, a pharmacy has a high profile in the medical center since it has more authority. According to Karuppan, Dunlap, and Waldrum (2016), within the past fifteen years, the price of prescription drugs has been rising. As a result, a more significant portion of the budget is now spent on buying medications. A pharmacy is responsible for negotiating on these prices to minimize the cost of treatment for clients. Also, a pharmacy should guarantee the effective and efficient operation of the facility, resulting in quality treatment and customer satisfaction.
Information technology has had a significant effect on the lives of many people for over forty years. Industries are continually embracing the use of technology to derive the benefits of automation of information processing. Pharmacies heavily rely on technology for complex tasks to be done with much ease. For pharmacists and prescribers, technology and modern systems have enabled electronic prescribing, storage of patient records in a structured manner, handling of drugs has been automated in the supply chain, easy dispensing and drug administration, and availability of tools for evaluating the safety and efficacy of drugs being used (Aguero et al., 2016). Therefore, information technology has helped in improving patient safety by enabling medical practitioners to provide quality services that assist patients to utilize their drugs.
The internet has enabled the creation of web-based secure platforms to facilitate public health initiatives and improved pharmacy services. Electronic prescribing systems have automated administration, supply, and prescribing of drugs in hospitals, resulting in reduced medical errors and patient safety. The use of barcode identification with EP systems has improved the completeness of the history of medication and decreased the number of medical errors. Pharmacies have also implemented the use of an automatic dispensing machine (Milliorn, 2016). For instance, the use of methadone dispensing (methadose) mechanisms has led to efficiency and accuracy in the demanding methadone administering procedure, especially in pharmacies that use a lot of methadone. Besides, automation has been implemented in the use of electronic cabinets in wards. The benefits of this automation include a reduction in skipped doses, stock outages, medical errors, and supply delays.
References
Aguero, D., Cooley, T., De la Torre, C., Ferer, D. S., Friudenberg, P., Nickman, N. A., Volpe, G. (2016). Optimizing automation and technology across a pharmacy enterprise. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy , (17), 1347.
Karuppan, C. M., Dunlap, N. E., & Waldrum, M. R. (2016). Operations Management in Healthcare : Strategy and Practice . New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
Milliorn, K. (2016). 5 trends in pharmacy automation: New technologies can improve operations and reduce costs. H&HN Hospitals & Health Networks , (12), 38.
