Authors: (including presenting author): :
LEUNG LM(1), LEUNG Y(2), CHAN C(3), LEE KW(1), CHOI W(2), LEE T(3), MAK K(2), TANG SK(1)
Affiliation: :
(1)Nursing Services Division (NSD), (2) Pharmacy Department,(3) Information Technology (IT) Department, United Christian Hospital
Introduction: :
Ward Stock Drug Requisition at clinical units has to be frequently performed by ward staff because of the limited space for storage and high patient occupancy. They have to submit their requests by paper form and it takes hours to receive the requested drugs. Therefore, this workflow has to be reviewed to cope with the increasing service demand. A workgroup including colleagues from NSD, Pharmacy and IT was formed to look into the situation and brainstorm solution in Jan 2019.
Objectives: :
- To modernize the workflow of Ward Stock Drug Requisition to cope with the increasing service demand - To design and execute a user-friendly platform
Methodology: :
The clinical workflow was reviewed and the process of drug requisition was commented as time consuming. A workgroup was formed and the solutions were discussed. A one-hub SharePoint, including the functions of drug request, dispense and receiving, was then built to serve the process of drug requisition. Ward staff can also use the platform to request a list of ward stock drugs while colleagues from Pharmacy can timely retrieve the requests and dispense accordingly. When ward staff receive the requested drug, they can press a button to indicate drugs are received in good order. A test run at Pharmacy Department and five pilot sites commenced in Oct 2019. To ensure a smooth transition from paper form to electronic platform, four briefing sessions were conducted to ward staff in mid Dec 2019. With the consensus by Ward Managers and Department Operations Managers, the platform was put into service at all clinical units in Jan 2020.
Result & Outcome: :
Ward staff have found it useful and more efficient when requesting ward stock drugs. Verbal feedback was received since implementation as follows: Ward nurses: Time required from requisition to receiving is significantly reduced. It is easy to have drug requisition on the platform. Pharmacists: A list of drug requisition can be clearly shown and we can dispense drugs depending on the urgency. The utilization of drugs from each unit can also be retrieved to facilitate the monitoring. It is an opportunity to foster the collaboration among Departments. Through modernizing a workflow, nurses can spend more time on direct patient care while Pharmacy Department can carry out drug utilization monitoring. With IT support, Win-Win situation can be achieved by using contemporary technology.
