Developing a Lean and IT-Enabled Medical Inventory System for Primary Care Units in the Buddhachinnaraj Hospital Network

Abstract

Background: Although the Ministry of Public Health provides standards and software to support medical inventory management, primary care units (PCUs) under the Buddhachinaraj Phitsanulok Hospital network continue to face challenges due to the use of different programs, lack of system integration, duplicated workflows, and risks of error. Lean principles combined with information technology were therefore applied to reduce waste and improve operational efficiency.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of the developed medical inventory management system for primary care units within the hospital network.

Methods: This action research was conducted from March 1 to August 31, 2025. The study consisted of three phases: (1) assessing problems and needs through in-depth interviews with pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, (2) developing the inventory management system using Lean principles integrated with information technology, and (3) evaluating system effectiveness. Data were collected from relevant personnel, and key indicators—dispensing value, inventory value, and stock-level ratio—were analyzed before and after the intervention using paired t-tests in Stata version 16.

Results: The development of the medical inventory management system demonstrated varying levels of effectiveness across primary care units. Seven units showed a reduction in dispensing value, with only Ban Khlong Health Promoting Hospital exhibiting a statistically significant decrease (p-value < 0.05). Inventory holding value significantly increased at Aranyik Health Center, Phai Khod Don PCU, and Chom Thong PCU (p-value < 0.05). No unit exhibited a statistically significant change in stock-level ratio (p-value < 0.05).

Conclusion: The redesigned inventory management system, integrating Lean concepts with information technology, streamlined workflows, reduced processing time, and improved data accuracy for dispensing and stock management. Although changes in dispensing and inventory values varied among units, the overall trend was consistent, indicating positive system effectiveness.