Zhao Dan, Wang Jie, Sun Mengting, Wu Tao, Peng Yingxin
The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University (Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital), No. 9 Chongwen Road, Suzhou 215000, Jiangsu, China.
Explor Res Clin Soc Pharm. 2025 Jul 5;19:100631. doi: 10.1016/j.rcsop.2025.100631. eCollection 2025 Sep.
Medication errors and delays in drug dispensing are persistent challenges in traditional pharmacy systems. Automated Dispensing Cabinets (ADCs) were introduced at the study hospital in July 2022 to improve medication safety and efficiency. However, the initial implementation phase revealed several issues, including prolonged medication retrieval times, suboptimal cabinet layout, system interface limitations, and inconsistent user operations. These challenges highlighted the need for further system optimization using a structured improvement approach.
This study aims to implement an inpatient pharmacy management system based on Six Sigma methodology and compare its effectiveness with TPS in terms of medication convenience and error reduction.
Starting in July 2022, an intelligent pharmacy management model was implemented in inpatient wards, centered around ADCs and guided by the Six Sigma methodology. Comprehensive improvements were made to address issues such as baseline medication management inefficiencies and delays in retrieving medications for temporary orders. The study compared various metrics, including the time required for retrieving medications for temporary orders, medication administration time, medication error rates before after one month of implementing the intelligent system and nurses' satisfaction with the intelligent system.
Compared with the pre-implementation phase, the intelligent system significantly reduced the time required for nurses to retrieve medications and execute orders ( < 0.05). The rates of medication retrieval and administration errors also decreased (P < 0.05). A majority of nurses (86.96 %) reported that the intelligent system improved work efficiency, 92.40 % found it easier to retrieve medications during emergencies, and 97.82 % expressed high satisfaction with the system.
The application of an intelligent inpatient pharmacy management system based on the Six Sigma methodology effectively reduced the time nurses needed to retrieve medications, enhanced overall nurse satisfaction, lowered error rates caused by human factors.
用药错误和药品调配延迟是传统药房系统中持续存在的挑战。2022年7月，研究医院引入了自动发药柜（ADC）以提高用药安全性和效率。然而，初始实施阶段发现了几个问题，包括用药检索时间延长、药柜布局欠佳、系统接口限制以及用户操作不一致。这些挑战凸显了使用结构化改进方法进一步优化系统的必要性。
本研究旨在实施基于六西格玛方法的住院药房管理系统，并在用药便利性和减少错误方面将其有效性与丰田生产方式（TPS）进行比较。
从2022年7月开始，在住院病房实施了以ADC为核心、以六西格玛方法为指导的智能药房管理模式。针对诸如基线用药管理效率低下以及临时医嘱用药检索延迟等问题进行了全面改进。该研究比较了各种指标，包括临时医嘱用药检索所需时间、用药执行时间、智能系统实施一个月前后的用药错误率以及护士对智能系统的满意度。
与实施前阶段相比，智能系统显著减少了护士检索药品和执行医嘱所需的时间（P<0.05）。用药检索和执行错误率也有所下降（P<0.05）。大多数护士（86.96%）报告称智能系统提高了工作效率，92.40%的护士发现在紧急情况下更容易检索药品，97.82%的护士对该系统表示高度满意。
基于六西格玛方法的智能住院药房管理系统的应用有效减少了护士检索药品所需的时间，提高了护士的总体满意度，降低了人为因素导致的错误率。
