Award recognises improvement in drug distribution at
Manchester trust
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Award winner Liz Ritchie (standing), with Jenny Bradburn, student pharmacy technician, at the
Manchester trust
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The Central Manchester and Manchester Children's Hospitals
NHS Trust and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology
(UMIST) have won a national award for a research project that improved
the drug distribution process in the trust.
The award was granted by the Government-backed Teaching
Company Directorate to the best seven projects in the teaching company
scheme (TCS). The scheme facilitates the transfer of knowledge and expertise
between industry (in this case, the trust) and academia (UMIST). Liz Ritchie,
who has an MSc in operations management from UMIST, was responsible for
the project.
Miss Ritchie, who is now supply chain development
manager for the trust, introduced concepts such as "just-in-time" (JIT)
delivery, which means that stock is only ordered in as necessary. This
reduces the need to hold large stocks, in contrast to the more common
practice in the NHS of ordering "just-in-case". However, Miss Ritchie
stresses that JIT requires a strong working relationship with suppliers.
Other developments include direct-to-ward delivery of intravenous bulk
fluids and the implementation of a supplier performance improvement initiative.
New machinery was also introduced in the form of
an electric pump-truck (which replaced a manual pump-truck) to move pallets
of bulk fluids. Larger loads can be moved with the new truck, thus reducing
the number of distribution "runs" required.
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