Contributing factors of slow moving pharmaceuticals (drugs and vitamins) in Pharmacy Department Hospital Tuanku Jaafar Seremban

According to Financial Term, slow moving item is an inventory item having a slower rate of turnover than the average turnover for the entire inventory. Slow moving medicine sometimes can be a waste especially when the drugs are not being used frequently. Every year, most slow moving medicines are being disposed due to excessive purchasing, expired and many more. The aim of this project is to investigate the contributing factors of the slow moving medicines and to suggest solutions to this problem. The objectives of this project include assessing the slow moving medicines stock and the cost of purchasing as well as to investigate the expired medicines. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted and data about slow moving medicines was collected from integrated store and slow moving medicine's file from outpatient department in order to trace the slow moving medicines. From the data, only 43 types of tablets and injections were selected. Usage of the selected medicines from January until October 2011 were taken and recorded from different types of pharmacy departments which are inpatient department, outpatient department, sub-store for inpatient and outpatient department as well as integrated store. Besides that, additional information was taken with the aim to know the reasons behind this issue ofslow moving medications. The results show that throughout the period, 45.96% tablets and 54.04% injections were used. Only 4 injections and 3 tablets are not directly issued which shows that most of the slow moving items are directly issued. From the result, 3 items are classified as KPK items, 4 items can be prescribed by selected doctors, 5 items can only be used for special cases and the rest is either caused by excess ordering or over purchasing. As a conclusion, slow moving items is caused by KPK items, medicines that can be used for special cases and prescribed by selected doctors as well as excess ordering and over purchasing of medication.