OBJECTIVES : This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the hospital pharmacy logistic reorganization in an Italian cancer center. Agreements with Local Health Authority (AUSL) centralized warehouse for the vast majority of IRST drug supplies, together with implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning connected with Electronic Medical Record to track drug storage level were the main pillars of this pharmacy supplying rethinking process.

METHODS : Key performance indicators were created (evaluating deviations between actual and forecasted consumption, supplying analysis, pharmacy warehouse stocks, drug consumption). Data were retrieved from hospital information systems (2016 to 2018). Time series analysis of monthly orders, stocks and their values (€), was focused on assessing trend and possible cyclic patterns during analysis period: graphs of series decomposition were plotted and seasonality was assessed adopting the method proposed by Ollech and Webel (WO test).

RESULTS : In 2018, yearly pharmaceutical expenditure increased by 20% compared to 2016 due to increased number of treated patients (+18%). Over the years, the number of orders and drug supplies through the centralized warehouse has increased causing a drastic reduction in direct purchases from suppliers (-67%). A greater stability of the monthly mean stock have been achieved in the years 2017-18, despite the introduction of 78 new drugs (SD: 290K€ in 2016 vs 180K€ in 2018). Moreover, analyzing supply data (orders, articles, value), a stabilization of the month-in-month differences (monthly average stock normalized) was observed. No seasonality has been demonstrated for the analyzed series.

CONCLUSIONS : The reorganization process, resulted in several improvements: pharmacy forecasting process became easier despite the increasing number of therapies; supply planning was optimized through a minimum and maximum stock threshold determination avoiding stock exhaustion and at the same time stabilized inventories.