For those of you who have ever had to deal with inventory control HELP!! It seems that no matter what we try the inventory is more often wrong then correct. We have only one person enter in the incoming invoices but many people filling the prescriptions, clerical, technicians, and veterinarians. I think there are too many people multi tasking throughout their day that mistakes just happen. At this time we can’t afford a pharmacy technician, some day we hope. How does everyone manage their inventory? Is it managable?
For those of you who have ever had to deal with inventory control HELP!! It seems that no matter what we try the inventory is more often wrong then correct. We have only one person enter in the incoming invoices but many people filling the prescriptions, clerical, technicians, and veterinarians. I think there are too many people multi tasking throughout their day that mistakes just happen. At this time we can’t afford a pharmacy technician, some day we hope. How does everyone manage their inventory? Is it managable?
Comments
It is a tough one, too many
It is a tough one, too many hands in the cookie jar for certain. A pharmacy tech is a huge benefit for both the staff and clients so the sooner you can get one or have someone take on the job in the interim the better. Good luck! 🙂
It is a tough one, too many
It is a tough one, too many hands in the cookie jar for certain. A pharmacy tech is a huge benefit for both the staff and clients so the sooner you can get one or have someone take on the job in the interim the better. Good luck! 🙂
Keep it as simple as
Keep it as simple as possible.
– Make lists of all inventory items, and either one person does a complete inventory weekly/bimonthly/monthly or divide up the categories among a few people. In between get used to “eyeballing” your inventory items
– get the staff on board, so that if they see an item getting low, they write it on a list
– If you have the time to dedicate, enter into your computer system quantity on hand, and quantity to reorder and then print reorder reports at set intervals. This should help with retail items. Don’t rely on this 100% though, just as an aid.
– Try to keep items in a central location rather than in a hundred different storage places in the hospital. It may help to divide items into “A” items (which make up 80% of your usage, and need to be checked weekly, eg flea/tick and HWP, vaccines), “B” items (less frequent usage, can be checked monthly, eg test kits, large-quantity bottles of tablets) and “C” items (can be checked every 2 months, such as slow-moving injectables).
– In that central location, tag items at their reorder quantity, so that if someone takes that item they can drop the tag into a bucket.
– all of these methods together, hopefully will keep you from running out of an item
– pharmacy tech? seems like a luxury to me, unless you work in a very large hospital. The only alternative is to drill into your staff that a RX is checked 3 times – when you write it, when you are filling it, and after you afix the label. Then when it is handed to a client, the directions are read to them. And if, God forbid, a mistake is made, it is brought to everyone’s attention as a scary reminder. I know this is not as foolproof as with a dedicated pharmacy tech but we do the best we can!
Keep it as simple as
Keep it as simple as possible.
– Make lists of all inventory items, and either one person does a complete inventory weekly/bimonthly/monthly or divide up the categories among a few people. In between get used to “eyeballing” your inventory items
– get the staff on board, so that if they see an item getting low, they write it on a list
– If you have the time to dedicate, enter into your computer system quantity on hand, and quantity to reorder and then print reorder reports at set intervals. This should help with retail items. Don’t rely on this 100% though, just as an aid.
– Try to keep items in a central location rather than in a hundred different storage places in the hospital. It may help to divide items into “A” items (which make up 80% of your usage, and need to be checked weekly, eg flea/tick and HWP, vaccines), “B” items (less frequent usage, can be checked monthly, eg test kits, large-quantity bottles of tablets) and “C” items (can be checked every 2 months, such as slow-moving injectables).
– In that central location, tag items at their reorder quantity, so that if someone takes that item they can drop the tag into a bucket.
– all of these methods together, hopefully will keep you from running out of an item
– pharmacy tech? seems like a luxury to me, unless you work in a very large hospital. The only alternative is to drill into your staff that a RX is checked 3 times – when you write it, when you are filling it, and after you afix the label. Then when it is handed to a client, the directions are read to them. And if, God forbid, a mistake is made, it is brought to everyone’s attention as a scary reminder. I know this is not as foolproof as with a dedicated pharmacy tech but we do the best we can!
Thank you both for all your
Thank you both for all your advise and wish me well!
Thank you both for all your
Thank you both for all your advise and wish me well!