Enhancing home delivery of emergency medicine and medical supplies through clustering and simulation techniques: A case study of COVID-19 home isolation in Bangkok.

This study investigates the enhancement of the home delivery distribution network for COVID-19 Home Isolation (HI) kits during the Delta variant outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Thailand. It addresses challenges related to limited resources and delays in delivering HI kits, which can exacerbate symptoms and increase mortality rates. A k-means clustering approach is utilized to optimize the assignment of service areas within the COVID-19 HI program, while discrete event simulation (DES) evaluates potential changes in the home delivery logistics network. Real-world data from the peak outbreak is used to determine the optimal allocation of resources and propose a new logistics network based on proximity to patients' residences. Experimental results demonstrate a significant 44.29 % improvement in overall performance and a substantial 40.80 % decrease in maximum service time. The findings offer theoretical and managerial implications for effective HI management, supporting practitioners and policymakers in mitigating the impact of future outbreaks.

National Drug Information Sharing in the Thailand Health Care Supply Chain.

PURPOSE: The paper explores the problems of health care supply chain in Thailand. A national drug information database is designed and presented to facilitate drug information sharing. METHODS: Literatures are analysed in order to develop the information needed by stakeholders in health care supply chain. Expert interviews are conducted to verify the necessity of all of the attributes. A conceptual network of web-based services is designed. RESULTS: The study purposes the use of a national drug information database containing drug information needed by all players and enabling nationwide information exchanges in a standard electronic format. CONCLUSIONS: Due to fragmented data and information and lack of data standard problems, the study purposes the information sharing system by constructing a national drug information database. The database contains information needed by all players in health care supply chain. A conceptual network of web-based services is presented to facilitate drug information sharing among health care supply chain members as well nationwide implementation.