Re-engineering for dramatic improvement in the medication-use process

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Hospital Administration
• Pharmacy Practice

Background:

• University hospitals face challenges in optimizing complex medication-use processes.
• Re-engineering initiatives are crucial for enhancing patient-focused care and operational efficiency.
• A university hospital sought external expertise to guide its quality improvement efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the planning process for re-engineering the medication-use process at a university hospital.
• To outline the strategic goals and organizational structure for pharmacy department re-engineering.
• To detail the framework used for developing a comprehensive re-engineering plan.

Main Methods:

• Hired a quality consultant to facilitate work-process improvement and re-engineering.
• Implemented a pilot patient-focused care program, identifying the need for broader departmental re-engineering.
• Conducted a retreat to establish re-engineering goals and formed specialized planning teams (production and knowledge-transfer).

Main Results:

• Established clear goals: supporting hospital strategy, ensuring timely and correct medication delivery, improving patient outcomes, and reducing costs.
• Defined specific responsibilities for pharmacy production (dispensing, storage, transport) and knowledge-transfer (training, monitoring) teams.
• Developed detailed plans for each team using a strategy, technology, process, and personnel framework.

Conclusions:

• Careful planning and external consultation are vital for successful organization-wide re-engineering in a hospital setting.
• The re-engineering process aimed to align pharmacy operations with broader hospital strategic initiatives.
• The structured approach facilitated the transformation of the medication-use process for improved patient care and resource management.