OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop drug distribution management of inventory department to stock departments. In order to reduce waiting time, the time and steps spent in total process and distribution errors.

METHODS:

The study was compared between pre development process (December 2017 to February 2018) and post development process (March to May 2018) at Betong Hospital by using Lean concepts. Wastes in the process from the lean analysis are waiting time lost, excess processing, defect rework, and over Inventory. After wastes analysis, distribution management designed to overcome the problems were 1. coordinating work process and setting a schedule between inventory and stock departments 2. revising specific drug request forms on the hospital intranet 3. introducing of computerized inventory control system 4. increasing double check step before drug delivery 5. increasing frequency of drug requests of two stock departments (Operating and Anesthetic) from once per month to once per week.

RESULTS: The drug request forms in hospital intranet reduced 96.30% for request order errors. The computer system and double check step had been reduced in the waiting time from 7 days to 4 days, reduction in the steps of drug distribution process from 7 to 6, reduction in the time spent in prepare process from 3.24 to 1.24 minute per item, decrease the number of distribution errors from 5 to 2 (reduced 60 %). Can check the inventory of existing drugs on the computer is current. Increase frequency of drug requests of two stock departments (Operating and anesthetic) could be decreased inventory reserve rate form 1.71,1.65 to 0.56,1.46 per month respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: In this study, Lean principle can be optimized to reduce the length of work and reduce the error in drug distribution management process.