SR2: Re-engineering the drug supply chain

Session: 
Wednesday, 26 March 2014 - 4:15pm to 5:45pmThursday, 27 March 2014 - 11:45am to 1:15pm

Room: 

117

Facilitator: 

Echarri Arrieta, Eduardo

Presenter: 

van Goor, Ad
Wulff Risoer, Bettina

 

ACPE UPN: 0475-0000-14-012-L04-P. A knowledge based activity.

Abstract
 
There is an on-going debate over how to make healthcare systems more efficient, and one promising area for reform is often overlooked: supplies and drugs. The recession has created both challenges and opportunities for those overseeing supply chains in healthcare, according to researchers. With budgets tight, hospitals must monitor closely where savings can be achieved and are increasingly looking to the supply chain. 
We should look very strategically at purchasing, distribution, and the other related areas and consider how they affect efficiency and effectiveness, as well as the possibilities for improving clinical care. Researchers are trying to unravel the tangled supply relationships that drive up the cost of healthcare, burdening hospitals and frustrating efforts to expand coverage among the uninsured.
Supply chain management -- the coordination of businesses and processes involved in producing and delivering a product or service -- has been widely used in other industries for decades. Many businesses, retailers in particular, have attributed their success to effective supply chain management. 
In response to pressures to reduce costs and improve performance in the pharmacy, some hospitals are opting to contract with an external organisation to manage some or all of their pharmacy operations. Outsourcing pharmacy management is a viable option for hospitals to confront issues within its pharmacy operations, staffing, finances and cost control.
 

Teaching Goals:

  • to present a structure of centralised drug distribution and the development of this,
  • to present a structure of decentralised (outsourcing) drug distribution system,
  • to discuss the pros and cons of decentralised and centralised drug distribution.
Learning Objectives:
 
After the presentation the participant should be able:
  • to describe the advantages and disadvantages of centralised and decentralised drug distribution system,
  • to identify challenges and obstacles when transforming the drug distribution system setup from centralised to decentralised,
  • to participate in debates and projects looking at re-engineering the drug supply chain.