Optimization of Intelligent Workflow in Outpatient Pharmacy to Reduce Patient Waiting Time for Drugs / 中国药房

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE:To reduce patient waiting time for drugs by improving work efficiency via the optimization of the in-telligent workflow of outpatient pharmacy. METHODS:The problems existing in each link in the workflow after the adoption of au-tomated drug dispensing machine in the outpatient pharmacy of our hospital were analyzed. Measures were developed and imple-mented,on the basis of the factors affecting each link including adding drugs,making up a prescription and dispensing drugs,to optimize the workflow. The effect after the optimization was evaluated,with the time it takes to make up a prescription and to dis-pense drugs and patient waiting time for drugs as the indexes. RESULTS:The averaged time it takes a pharmacist to make up a pre-scription and to dispense drugs and patient waiting time for drugs significantly reduced from 3.4 min,9.3 min and 12.7 min to 1.0 min,6.1 min and 7.1 min respectively,after taking measures such as adjusting the number of the drug types,tracks and positions in the machine,adding the contrasting pictures of the drugs which were similar on the system interface for adding drugs,standardiz-ing the process of adding drugs,improving and allocating information labels,adjusting the process of dispensing drugs and adding new small packages of drugs within 6 months. CONCLUSIONS:The optimized intelligent workflow in the pharmacy can reduce pa-tient waiting time for drugs,increase patient satisfaction and promote the development of intelligent pharmacy.