The Effects of Installing Automated Ward Solutions for Medicine - A Case Study at Växjö Central Hospital

Sammanfattning: Research Questions: Research Question I: How does the material management process of medicine differ between a ward with, and without, an Automated Ward Solution (AWS)? Research Question II: How do time and costs differ in the material management process of medicine between a ward with, and without, an AWS? Research Question III: How has the instalment of a central storage affected the number of orders placed for wards? Purpose: The purpose is to map and compare the material management process of medicine between a ward with, and without, an AWS. Further the mapped processes will be timed, allocated costs by applying TDABC and then compared. The purpose is as well to describe how the instalment of a central storage has affected the frequency of orders placed for wards. Methodology: This project is a qualitative case study as the authors wished to understand the phenomena of having installed AWSs for medicine in a real context. The primary data was collected through interviews, observations and studying of documents; the secondary data was collected through scientific articles and literatures. The collected data answered the research questions with the help of process mapping and TDABC. Conclusion: In the created process maps it is found that the extensiveness of the different processes when compared are similar for both wards; however the allocated costs calculated through TDABC sometimes differ due to the involvement of the Pharmaceutical Unit as it carries a higher capacity cost per minute. Ward 5 can be assumed to have a higher security and accuracy due to the instalment of an AWS and by having laid more responsibility on the Pharmaceutical Unit. The AWS has however led to a larger waste for Ward 5 as it cannot return regular medicine anymore. This project could not directly connect the instalment of a central storage with reduced order lines; however it can be assumed that it has contributed to the decreased order lines placed.