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Optimization of Automated Dispensing Unit Inventory and the Impact on Department Waste and Inventory Control

by Jennifer Vogel, PharmD, Erica Timm, PharmD 

"Purpose: To determine if application of a standard inventory formula from literature and manufacturer recommendations will improve automated dispensing cabinet (ADC) inventories by increasing vend:fill ratios, decreasing stock out rates, and improving the percentage of doses from ADCs.
Methods: Seventeen profiled ADCs were optimized over two months. The optimization process included removing medications that had not been dispensed in over 180 days, adding medications that had been repeatedly loaded to the ADC and dispensed from pharmacy, and adjusting the desired par levels for medications within the ADC. The inventory levels were adjusted using a standard inventory formula. The primary outcome was the vend:fill ratio, and secondary outcomes included percentage of stockouts, total number of medications in a machine, percentage of medication doses from the ADC, and number of outdated transactions.
Results: In total, 1,995 medication par values were adjusted in the seventeen machines over a one-month optimization period. The mean vend:fill ratio increased from 8.34 to 9.27. Prior to optimization, 78,684 (86.1%) doses were dispensed from ADCs. Post-optimization, the number of medication doses from ADCs increased to 80,663 (92.4%).
Conclusion: This study confirms that ADC optimization via a standard inventory formula improves vend:fill ratios, stockout percentages, and percentage of doses from ADC."


Keywords: Pharmacists, Workflow, Cost Savings, Benchmarking, Tertiary Care Centers, Wisconsin, Medication Errors, Health Services Accessibility, Documentation, Hospital Units, Pharmacy 

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2022 September/October Table of Contents 

The Journal of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin (ISSN 2837-8229)


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  • Home
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