Control of Pharmaceutical Products in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Abstract

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates the largest healthcare system in the United States. Included in that system are 224 pharmacies that dispense over $900 million worth of pharmaceutical items annually. Those pharmacies have material controls that are as comprehensive as in most other healthcare systems; however, the VA has an excellent opportunity to enhance its pharmacy control and at the same time improve its productivity. In this study, we recommend that the VA keep perpetual inventory records for both scheduled and nonscheduled drugs and that it automate its replenishment process by using those inventory balances to drive new orders from its prime vendors. We also recommend that the VA treat its pharmacy stocks as assets, measure the degree to which those assets are turning, and measure material control using two indices of inventory record accuracy. By following these recommendations, the VA pharmacies will become the material control model for other pharmacy organizations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1995
Accession Number
ADA304801

Entities

People

  • Donald T. Frank
  • Samuel J. Mallette

Organizations

  • LMI

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Best Practices
  • Computer Programs
  • Control Systems
  • Delivery Of Health Care
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of Veterans Affairs
  • Governments
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Inventory
  • Inventory Control
  • Logistics
  • Measurement
  • National Governments
  • Spreadsheet Software
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Education
  • Medicine

Readers

  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
  • Medical or Health Care Field.
  • Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Care for Military Service Members and Veterans with Limb Loss or Disability.