An Application of Value Stream Mapping for the Improvement of Pharmaceutical Distributor Process at Borabue Hospital, Mahasarakham Province

Abstract

Objective: To develop a pharmaceutical  distributor process that uses Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to acquire and reduce the wastes of the inventory control processes. Methods: The descriptive research examined the pharmaceutical distributor process among an inventory control department and sub-unit departments in the pharmacy department at Borabue Hospital to assess time duration and work processes during April to June 2016. Initially, the current state value stream mapping was applied to investigate value added activities and wastes. The developing future state value stream mapping was then utilized to enhance the inferior existing process. Results: The work process evaluation illustrated 3 value added activities, 4 necessary but non value added activities, and 3 non value added activities. The value added activities were exclusively generated 30.60% of the total lead time. The approximated lead time of an entire system was 8,430 minutes. Also, the estimated total time of each process was 6,220 minutes. The full time equivalent of disbursement processes was 1.004. Consequently, the developing innovative system was necessary to reduce the wastes, for instance, the eliminated non-value added activities, combined activities, work simplification, using technology and information system, and the barcode system. Conclusions: VSM is one of the lean tools to display the comprehensive pharmaceutical distributor process. The significant benefits of this tool are to present the workflow diagram, the data flow diagram, and the total time of work leading to the waste reduction and further studies of the pharmaceutical distributor process.