CVS's retail pharmacy operations are functioning poorly and dissatisfying customers. Many customers are defecting as a result. A pharmacy service improvement team has documented the current prescription fulfillment process, its exception rates, and the problems generated by exceptions. The company must now decide how to change this process, and what information system changes to make in support of the redesigned process. What changes do you recommend to CVS’s existing pharmacy fulfillment process? What IT changes, if any, are required to implement your changes? The biggest change that I would make would be around the Drop off station. I think that more could be done if that position was manned full time. This would require another …show more content…
We could create a website where employees could provide their feedback (anonymously, if they wanted). As we progress through implementation and (hopefully) improvements, monthly updates on progress would have to be made as well. What are we measuring ourselves against (metrics) and how are we doing against those? We owe it to the employees to be transparent through this whole process. How will you ensure that there’s no backsliding – that there won’t still be wooden boxes in use six months from now? How can technology be used to prevent or inhibit backsliding? I don't think you can guarantee no backsliding, but as for wooden boxes, we would remove them completely. All transactions would have to be performed via an automated process. From a support perspective, we would have to make sure our employees are trained up on the new system. They need to trust the new technology. The same processes and database information must be available at all CVS locations. Also, this would be a significant company effort, so having some training sessions with personnel from other CVS stores would help develop informal relationships. Especially since customers may move to different areas requiring a closer CVS location to fulfill their prescription needs. Does PSI represent a significant opportunity for CVS? Would improving customer service be of significant financial benefit to the company? Yes. $2.5
In the UK, there are more than 1 billion scripts prescribed and dispensed every year (HSCIC, 2013). There are over 12,000 pharmacies in the UK, and approximately 1.6 million people visit a pharmacy every day (HSCIC, 2013). It is therefore natural to assume that between these 1 billion prescriptions, an error or mistake will be made. Current studies suggest that of all the dispensed medicines, there are approximately 0.01-3.32% errors made in community pharmacy and 0.02-2.7% in hospital pharmacy (James et all, 2009).
The Pharmacy services have a full range of pharmacy benefits manager with more than 65 million plan members that enable people, businesses and communities to afford a healthy life style in an effective way. Pharmacy services segment of CVS offers mail order, specialty pharmacy and infusion services, formulary management, discounted drug purchase scheme, Medicare part D services, retail pharmacy network management services, prescription management services, clinical services and disease management services. CVS also provides health management programs for 17 conditions.
Many companies are transitioning to the use of Apps to provide ongoing feedback to their employees. General Electric, a company famous for their year-end reviews has scrapped them and now uses an App process. The new app is called “PD@GE” for “performance development at GE”. Managers are expected to have frequent discussions, called “touch points,” on progress toward those goals and note what was discussed, committed to, and resolved. The app can provide summaries on command, through typed notes, photographs of a notepad, or even voice recordings. “The focus isn’t on grading how well people are doing, but on constant improvement” (Nilsen, 2015).
As consultant to Sanders and Myers, I would suggest they rethink the continuation of economic value added (“EVA”) bonus payout process. The proposed EVA bonus payout structure is supposed to be an objective way to gauge and reward employee performance; however, through no fault of their own, the Dermatology group is slated to undergo severe ebbs and flows in their incentive and could potentially wreak havoc on employee morale and retention.
Human resources have surveyed all employees and asked them to provide feedback on areas where the business can improve.
On the other hand, my son can only get his monthly medication at CVS Pharmacy and whenever I pick his medication up or he does, we are treated like brand new customers, there is no personalization. At CVS, after waiting an extended length of time, the pharmacy technician rarely asks me if I have any questions for the pharmacist and if I do she rushes me out, like I am disturbing the flow of operations. My family describes the pharmacy at CVS as a sterile machine; you are treated like a number not an individual. We have tried different CVS Pharmacies around Lakeland, but we get the same old treatment. Both Walgreens and CVS probably handle customer identification data very similar, but Walgreens emphasizes building positive customer relations
This is a journal study to investigate the perceptions and opinions of the professional community pharmacy staff about the causes of dispensing errors and strategies to prevent these errors. A survey was completed by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in 49 community pharmacies and the response rate was 90.9% (Lopes, Joaquim, Matos & Pires, 2015). Handwritten prescriptions were the most single cause of medication errors 51.5% and drugs with similar packages 45.6% (Lopes et al., 2015). Checking prescriptions and confirmation of drugs through barcodes was 97% which were the most agreed prevention methods (Lopes et al., 2015). This article would not only be useful to pharmacy personnel but to other health practitioners or students performing research. In addition, a study similar to this could serve as an example (initiative) that may benefit management. Such initiative would be implemented to help improve medication
This integrative review sought to identify and understand the impact of information technology in on medication errors. The review of 14 papers shows that the implementation of medication management systems, which include CPOE, BCMA and automated dispensing machines has successfully reduced medication errors and adverse medication events significantly, particularly the two most susceptible stages of prescription and administration of drugs (Armada et al., 2014).
The VA Outpatient clinic has been looking for ways to improve quality of care, operational efficiency, and cut costs by implementing various improvement strategies. The use of information technology in healthcare to improve patient care continues to be an admirable goal. The VA Outpatient clinic currently do not use technology for medication administration. Medication errors are a common cause of injury and death, which is seen in the health care arena. In 2008, it has been reported that nearly 200,000 Americans die from medical errors that could have been preventable (Andel, 2012). Medication errors alone has cost the United States $19.5 billion in 2008 (Andel, 2012). Out of this cost, 87 percent or $17 million were diverted to additional medical care needed, such as hospitalization, outpatient services, ancillary services, and prescription
The one thing I would change in my department would be the cross-training of employees on job duties. In my department, there are two Eligibility Assistants, and we have duties that we share, but also duties that are assigned solely to us individually. If one of us is on vacation or is out of the office for some reason, the work assigned solely to that individual does not get completed until they return to the office. This causes issues with timeliness as the State of Tennessee and Medicare require most things assigned to be completed within 48 hours. If we were cross-trained on all the duties assigned, it would prevent the issue, as all job duties could be performed by either of the Eligibility
We would like to thank you so much for all the hard work that you all have been doing. As Walgreens still continue being one of the top largest retail pharmacy in the United States. Our goal and vision has always been; to be America's most loved pharmacy-led health, wellbeing and beauty retailer and to champion everyone’s right to be happy and healthy and that also include our employees. With that being said we really appreciate your loyalty and the excellent work that you continue to do despite our current predicament.
Based on the tables above, the company consisting of the shortest cash-to-cash cycle is Walgreen Company. On the contrary, the longest cycle is contained by Rite Aid. Therefore, there is a leaner operation in Walgreen compared to both CVS and Rite companies. When compared to the two companies, Walgreen is less liquid. Due to the reduced period of cash-to-cash cycle, there is more operating investment in disposal to be used in Walgreen when compared to CVS and Rite. By considering cash-to-cash cycle, the best performing company is Walgreen, followed by CVS and finally Rite Aid.
In earlier days, the supervisor was the person in charge of a group of towrope pullers or ditch diggers. That person was literally the “fore man,” since he was up forward of the work crew. His authority consisted mainly of chanting the “one, two, three, up” that set the pace for the rest of the workers. In Germany, the supervisor is still called a vorarbeiter (“fore worker”); in England, the term charge hand is used. Both terms suggest the lead-person origin. The term supervisor has its roots in Latin, where it means “looks over.” It was originally applied to the master of a group of artisans. Today, the supervisor’s job combines some of the talents of the “foreman” (or leader) and those of the “master” (skilled
360 degree feedback system as a performance evaluation tool as long as the understanding of its intent is understood. “There are three key steps in the successful implementation of 360 degree feedback systems in an organization. The three steps are that it must fit the organizations culture, make it psychometrically sound, and used with care” (“Best Practices”, 2012). It is also important to train the feedback providers to be sensitive, respectful and polite. Treating employees in a friendly and respectful manner and offering constructive advice will make them more open to accepting the performance
The healthcare supply chain shares a number of similarities with other chains, not only in terms of processes (e.g. procurement, warehousing, distribution), but also in terms of discerning customers and management structures. There are also differences in the chain that are related to the specific characteristics and requirements of the sector. In general, healthcare supply chains are very complex, diverse, and dynamic. That complexity arises from the numerous companies and organizations participating in the chain, which are involved in many interactions across the entire chain.