Analytical thinking is a critical tool applied in the analysis of processes in business, healthcare, politics, and education among other aspects of life (Hawkings & Glickman, 2012). It reveals the dispersion in processes, challenges, and possible solutions. Applying numbers to any procedure or industry are inevitable. Therefore, people are forced to employ statistical thinking frequently in their endeavors, either knowingly or unknowingly. Narrowing down to healthcare, this tool plays the vital role of ensuring that mistakes in prescription as a way of administering treatment through drugs are identified and nullified. Particularly, the acquisition of mathematical skills is paramount to pharmacists since they are responsible for the assignment of medications to patients. Therefore, lack of these skills can be detrimental to the health of patients, the pharmacy business and the health industry at large.
Due to the scientific nature and the complexity of the variables and procedures involved in Statistical thinking, it might be difficult for non-statisticians to enhance skills relating to the same (Salkind, 2014). Nevertheless, it should not be a reason for individuals to give up on such an essential matter. The problem of using it is rampant in pharmacies due to that excuse. Light is evident at the end of the tunnel because logic makes everything including statistics easy. Thus, Juan should find it less complicated through laying it on the line with logic. In so doing, analyzing the entire situation facing Juan and the HMO Pharmacy will be a piece of cake.
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The Right Pharmacy Prescription Filling Process
Input and Initial Check
This stage of the process ensures that all the required details are captured. The name of the prescriber has to be recorded. It is followed by the information pertaining the patient. Such instructions include the name, age, weight, insurance covers, and height of the patient. Significant medical conditions are also included. The person responsible has to make sure that entire medication is confirmed by the Pharmacist or the physician involved. Besides, all the legal requirements connected to medicine have to be fulfilled for the commencement and completion of this part of the prescription filling process.
Therapeutic Check
Many are the cases where the medicine administered to a sick individual is not the right one for them (Chaw et al ., 2016). A therapeutic check is aimed at reducing or eliminating that possibility. Here, the doctor finds out whether the drugs are compatible with the age, weight, and the medical situation of the patient. Otherwise, the medication can cause more harm to the indulgent.
Preparation
It is mostly on the side of the Pharmacists. They have to enhance the condition and effectiveness of the preferred medicine by repacking it in the right manner, stressing on the expiry dates, instructions, and warnings. All the labels containing precautions and relevant records are also put in place.
Technical Check
This test is concerned with the accuracy of the stages described above. It verifies that the right pharmaceuticals were used. Therefore, matters such as brand, quantity, form, formula, and methodologies applied are correct. It is also referred to as the assurance process of prescription.
Supply and Educate
After the technical check, the pharmacist clarifies any query to the patient of the caretaker to the person. All the questions that the patient may have regarding medication are asked here.
HMO Prescription Filling Process and Resultant Challenges
Comparing HMO's prescription filling process to the correct one above, two immediate steps are omitted. It means that all the advantages that come along with them are disregarded. Firstly, there is no therapeutic check. Therefore, the aspect of trial and error is used in the complete filling of the prescription. Since luck cannot apply in the health industry, the probability of making mistakes in the administration of medical treatment is high. Not only is it detrimental to the health of the patient, but also to the HMO Pharmacy business. In fact, it renders the remaining part of the process inefficient. Besides, the omission of the technical check introduces and increases the chances of having negative results. For instance, disregarding the side effects of prescribed drugs can only lead to negativity. Death is the outcome of the same. Consequently, the business is bound to fail gradually.
The SIPOC MODEL ANALYSIS
The SIPOC Diagram about to the Right Prescription Filling
As shown above in the SIPOC diagram, the suppliers, inputs, outputs and the customers work are dependent in ensuring that the filling of prescriptions is completed in the beat way possible. The suppliers or the manufacturers of drugs produce the medicine that is consumed by the customers, in this case, the patients (Jones et al ., 2015). The inputs are the chemicals which are manipulated through the employment of chemist skills. The end products (outputs) include the medicine, packaging materials, and equipment accompanied by instructions and recommendations.
The Cause of Problems, Solution and Rationale
It is evident that the root causes of the problems faced by HMO are in the problem lie in the P-part of the analysis as discussed earlier. The process is faulty. The main reason as to why the problems are rampant is because of poor management of the pharmacy. Perhaps, there is some form of laxity that should be addressed as soon as possible to improve the output of the business. The rationale behind this is that there has to be someone responsible for overseeing the overall prescription process and ensuring that everything takes place desirable. In most cases, it is the manager. Therefore, the manager, in this case, Juan, should enhance his role in the business and tighten the loose ends as shown in the discussion above.
Data Collection Tools
There are many methods of data collection including questionnaires, interviews, surveys, and census (Bryman, 2015). However, in this case, the best tool to use is engaging in personal interviews. The manager can acquire a lot of first-hand information from this tool. He should note that the people to be involved in it include the other human resources as well as the customers (patients). Moreover, identification and solution of problems that may arise in the HMO Pharmacy can be made easier through the same.
Conclusion
Conclusively, analytical thinking is necessary for the success of firms in the health industry and other sectors as well. The right pharmacy prescription process should be followed for the desired output. It should entail the input and initial check, therapeutic check, preparation, technical check, education, and supply. The SIPOC analysis is useful in identifying problems and finding their primary causes. The major issue with the HMO Pharmacy is poor management. It can be solved through proper coordination of activities. Conducting interviews can go a long way to enhance the solutions as discussed above.
References
Bryman, A. (2015). Social research methods. Oxford University Press.
Chawla, P. K., Udwadia, Z. F., Soman, R., Mahashur, A. A., Amalie, R. A., Dherai, A. J., ... & Ashavaid, T. F. (2016). The importance of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Rifampicin. Journal of The Association of Physicians of India, 64, 68.
Hawkins, A., Jolliffe, F., & Glickman, L. (2014). Teaching statistical concepts. Routledge.
Jones, E., Gupta, S., Jefferson, F., Rogers, J., Choi, J. B., Bolton, J., & Cochran, D. (2015). Chipped Pharmaceuticals from Production to in VIVO (in the body) Drug Delivery Becoming Reality. International Journal of Supply Chain Management, 4(1).
Salkind, N. J. (2016). Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics: Using Microsoft Excel 2016. Sage Publications.
