Combating the Military's Escalating Pharmacy Costs: A Lean Six Sigma Approach

Abstract

The pharmacy operations of three military, Medical Treatment Facilities (MTF) were observed, to determine possible process improvements and cost saving mechanisms that may be achieved through Lean Six Sigma methodologies. After mapping the processes of each facility (one large, one medium, and one small) each was modeled and validated in order to forecast potential savings, increases in efficiency, and/or waste reduction while either maintaining or improving customer satisfaction (i.e., processing times). The research proved that Lean Six Sigma methodologies can be implemented within pharmacy operations, often at little or zero cost, while realizing significant savings and increased customer satisfaction.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA494105

Entities

People

  • James Nuce
  • Lydia Robinson
  • Tom Sikora

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Business Administration
  • Control Systems
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Management Personnel
  • Manpower Utilization
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Medicine
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Patient Care
  • Personnel Management
  • Pharmacies
  • Therapy
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
  • Medical or Health Care Field.