Stock levels at the system’s outpatient pharmacies didn’t match patient demand. Each site set its own reorder points by hand, leaving some medications running out while others sat on shelves, tying up cash and space.
Solution
We used system data to set optimized stock targets for the top medications. Partnering with frontline staff at every site, we put tools already built into the system to work and reorganized shelf space so fast-moving medications were easier to reach.
Results
MATCHING STOCK TO DEMAND
~50%
fewer stockouts from data-driven stock levels
Stockouts delay patient pickups, while overstock ties up cash and shelf space. With targets grounded in real demand, sites now stock what patients actually need, and staff own a process built to last.
Stockout rate before and after, across all sites:
Source: Waves project analysis
Additional Outcomes
Cash and shelf space freed up.
Sites that had overstocked no longer tie up cash and shelf space in excess supply.
Less manual reordering.
System-driven targets replaced hand-set reorder points that were set too low, cutting down on constant reordering and rework.
One consistent method across every site.
Stock levels are now set using data in the same way, instead of each location relying on its own approach.
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