Apparatus and method for managing product inventory in medical institution and program therefore

Abstract

To perform further accurate management of product inventory in a medical institution by using a novel management code.SOLUTION: A management code 100 includes a first area 101 representing medicinal properties of products, a second area 102 representing attributes for use in product selection, and a third area 103 representing names of manufacturers of the products. As an example, first 9 digits of YJ code can be defined as the first area 101, and last 3 digits of the YJ code or a string including thereof can be defined as the third area 103. Because the last 3 digits of the YJ code reflect manufacturers. Alternatively, attributes represented by the second area 102 include, for example, package varieties, taste, granule and volume. Alternatively, it may be considered that the third area 103 representing the names of manufacturers is not necessarily included in the management code, as an arbitrary area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus, a method, and a program for managing inventory of goods in a medical institution. [Background technology]

[0002] Drugs are assigned a code to identify each product, and in Japan, a code called the YJ code is used. For example, "Loxonin Tablets 60 mg" has a 12-digit code of "1149019F1560." Even if the active ingredients are the same, if the manufacturers are different, different YJ codes may be assigned to different products.

[0003] In actual distribution, each product is sold in fixed units by wholesalers and other retailers to medical institutions such as pharmacies, and there are sales packaging units, which are the minimum order unit, and original packaging units, which are multiple packages of products of the sales packaging unit. Codes are also assigned to identify these packaging units, and a code system called GS1 is used internationally. For example, the code "14987081105400" is set according to the GS1 system for a sales packaging unit of 10 PTP packaging sheets containing 10 tablets of "Loxonin 60 mg tablets." Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the codes currently used do not allow for adequate management of actual inventory. For the above-mentioned "Loxonin Tablets 60 mg," the YJ code is the same, but different GS1 codes are assigned: "14987081105400" for 10 PTP packaging sheets containing 10 tablets, "14987081105417" for 100 PTP packaging sheets containing 10 tablets, and "14987081105431" for 1,000 tablets in a bottle. For example, the liquid-type enteral nutritional supplement "Ensure (registered trademark) Liquid" has a YJ code of "3259114S1026", but the GS1 code varies depending on the flavor, with the vanilla flavor being set to "14987439095780", the coffee flavor being set to "14987439095797", and the strawberry flavor being set to "14987439095803" for a packaging unit of 250 mL x 24 cans. If managed by the GS1 code, an unnecessary packaging unit distinction would be included for an example such as "Loxonin Tablets 60 mg", and if managed by the YJ code, a necessary distinction between flavors would not be possible for an example such as "Ensure Liquid". Regardless of which code is used, actual inventory management is not sufficient. This means that accurate demand forecasts for each product are not possible.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and its purpose is to enable more accurate management of product inventory in medical institutions by using new management codes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve this object, a first aspect of the present invention is a method for managing inventory of goods at a medical institution, comprising the steps of: accepting input of inventory data relating to goods received; determining a management code associated with an identification code for identifying a packaging unit, which is included in the inventory data; determining a quantity of the goods received, based on the order quantity included in the inventory data; and updating inventory data, which is a correspondence between management codes and inventory quantities, by adding the determined quantity to the inventory quantity associated with the determined management code, wherein the management code has a first area including a portion of a YJ code representing an active ingredient, and a second area representing an attribute used for product selection.

[0007] A second aspect of the present invention is the first aspect, wherein the attribute is any one of packaging form, taste, volume, granularity, and combinations thereof.

[0008] A third aspect of the present invention is the first or second aspect, wherein the management code further has a third field indicating the name of a manufacturer.

[0009] In addition, a fourth aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute a method for managing inventory of goods at a medical institution, the method including the steps of: accepting input of inventory data regarding goods received; determining a management code associated with an identification code for identifying a packaging unit, the identification code being included in the inventory data; determining a quantity of the goods received, based on the number of orders included in the inventory data; and updating inventory data, which is a correspondence between management codes and inventory quantities, by adding the determined quantity to the inventory quantity associated with the determined management code, the management code having a first area including a part of a YJ code representing an active ingredient, and a second area representing an attribute used for product selection.

[0010] In addition, a fifth aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for managing inventory of goods at a medical institution, which accepts input of inventory data regarding goods that have been received, determines a management code associated with an identification code for identifying a packaging unit contained in the inventory data, determines a quantity of the goods received based on the order quantity contained in the inventory data, adds the determined quantity to the inventory quantity associated with the determined management code, and updates inventory data which is a correspondence between management codes and inventory quantities, and the management code has a first area including a part of a YJ code representing an active ingredient, and a second area representing an attribute used for product selection.

[0011] In addition, a sixth aspect of the present invention is a method for managing inventory of products at a pharmacy, comprising the steps of accepting input of prescription data and updating the inventory data by subtracting the prescription quantity of the YJ code from the inventory amount associated with each management code corresponding to the YJ code based on a YJ code contained in the prescription data in proportion to each management code, each management code having a first area containing a part of the YJ code representing an active ingredient, and a second area representing an attribute used for product selection.

[0012] Moreover, a seventh aspect of the present invention is the sixth aspect, in which the determination is a prediction based on the delivery history of the YJ code at the pharmacy to which the prescription data was input.

[0013] In addition, an eighth aspect of the present invention is the seventh aspect, wherein the prediction is based on a predictive model obtained by machine learning used on the delivery history of the YJ code at the pharmacy to which the prescription data was input.

[0014] In addition, a ninth aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute a method for managing inventory of products at a medical institution, the method including the steps of accepting input of prescription data and updating the inventory data by subtracting the prescription quantity of the YJ code from the inventory amount associated with each management code corresponding to the YJ code based on a YJ code included in the prescription data in proportion to each management code, and each management code has a first area including a part of the YJ code representing an active ingredient, and a second area representing an attribute used for product selection.

[0015] In addition, a tenth aspect of the present invention is a device for managing inventory of products at a medical institution, which accepts input of prescription data and, based on a YJ code contained in the prescription data, updates the inventory data by subtracting the prescription quantity of the YJ code from the inventory amount associated with each management code corresponding to the YJ code in proportion to the proportion of each management code, and each management code has a first area containing a part of the YJ code representing an active ingredient, and a second area representing an attribute used for product selection. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, proper inventory management is enabled by using a new type of management code that represents attributes used in product selection and cannot be expressed by existing codes such as GS1 codes or YJ codes. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a management code according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of a management code according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 shows a product inventory management device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a flow of a warehousing process for a product according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a flow of a product shipping process according to the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0019] (First embodiment)

[0020] 1 is a diagram showing a model of a management code according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The management code 100 has a first area 101 showing the medicinal ingredients of a product, a second area 102 showing attributes used for product selection by a patient or a pharmacist, and a third area 103 showing the name of the manufacturer of the product.

[0021] In the example table shown in FIG. 2, for "Loxonin Tablets 60 mg," the first area 101 is "1149019F1" regardless of the packaging form and packaging unit. "1149019F1" is part of the YJ code set for "Loxonin Tablets 60 mg," and indicates the medicinal ingredients, administration route, dosage form, etc. For patients who take "Loxonin Tablets 60 mg," the type of packaging makes a difference; specifically, there is a difference between a PTP packaging sheet containing 10 tablets and a bottle containing 1,000 tablets. In this example, the second area 102 indicates such packaging forms as attributes. In the table, the former is "002894," and the latter is "002985."

[0022] The third area 103 indicates the name of the manufacturer, and in the table, ABC Co., Ltd. is shown as "00054". As another example, the first nine digits of the YJ code can be the first area 101, and the last three digits of the YJ code or a character string including them can be the third area 103. This is because the last three digits of the YJ code reflect the manufacturer. There are cases where the seller needs to be identified separately from the manufacturer. In this case, as an example, the third area 103 can be a character string including the last three digits of the YJ code, with digits representing the seller added.

[0023] In terms of quantity, 10 PTP packaging sheets equal 100 tablets, and the GS1 code "14987081105400" is set, and 100 sheets equal 1000 tablets, and the GS1 code "14987081105417" is set. The new format of management code according to this embodiment enables appropriate inventory management by using attributes used for product selection that are not expressed by the GS1 code. In this specification, a code for identifying a packaging unit may be more generally referred to as an "identification code."

[0024] In the example table shown in FIG. 2, for "Ensure Liquid," the first area 101 is "3259109S1" regardless of the flavor. "3259109S1" is part of the YJ code set for "Ensure Liquid," just like for "Loxonin Tablets 60 mg." For patients who take "Ensure Liquid," the flavor makes a difference, and specifically, there are differences such as vanilla flavor, coffee flavor, and strawberry flavor. In this example, the second area 102 represents these flavors as attributes.

[0025] The quantity is 1200 mL for 24 cans of 250 mL each, and a GS1 code is set for each flavor. As seen in the example of "Loxonin Tablets 60 mg," the GS1 code is not appropriate for managing actual inventory, so it is possible to use the YJ code as another existing code. However, the YJ code cannot distinguish between different flavors. The new type of management code according to this embodiment enables appropriate inventory management by using attributes used for product selection that are not expressed by the YJ code.

[0026] In addition, the management code according to the present embodiment shows an example of the specific order of the first to third areas, but these areas are not limited to any particular order and may be changed as appropriate. Also, as shown in Fig. 2, each area may be 9 digits, 5 digits, and 6 digits in the order of the first area 101, the second area 102, and the third area 103, but this is merely an example.

[0027] Further, examples of the attributes represented by the second region 102 include, in addition to the above-mentioned packaging form and flavor, granularity, volume, etc. Here, "granularity" refers to the shape, size, etc. of the granules.

[0028] Also, the third field 103 indicating the manufacturer's name may be considered as an optional field that is not necessarily included in the management code.

[0029] Second Embodiment 3 shows a product inventory management device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The management device 300 is a device for managing inventory data indicating the inventory amount of each product, and receives input of warehousing data and prescription data to increase or decrease the inventory amount of each product. The inventory data is data that associates the management code of each product with the inventory amount of the product.

[0030] The management device 300 includes a communication unit 301 such as a communication interface, a processing unit 302 such as a processor or CPU, and a storage unit 303 including a storage device or storage medium such as a memory or a hard disk, and can be configured by executing a program for performing each process. The management device 300 may include one or more devices, computers, or servers. The program may include one or more programs, and may be recorded in a computer-readable storage medium to form a non-transient program product. The program may be stored in a storage device or storage medium accessible from the storage unit 303 or the management device 300, and may be executed by the processing unit 302. In FIG. 3, a database 304 is shown as a storage device or storage medium accessible from the management device 300. The database 304 may be a component constituting the management device 300, and data stored therein may be stored in the storage unit 303.

[0031] The following describes how inventory increases and decreases in the order of incoming and outgoing processing. In this specification, "incoming" means that a product is received and added to inventory, and "outgoing" means that a product is sold and removed from inventory.

[0032] Please note that unless there is a statement such as "based only on XX," "depending only on XX," or "only in the case of XX," this specification assumes that additional information may be taken into consideration. As an example, please note that the statement "do b when a" does not necessarily mean "always do b when a" or "do b immediately after a" unless expressly stated. Furthermore, the statement "each a constituting A" does not necessarily mean that A is composed of multiple components, but includes the case where the component is singular.

[0033] Also, just to be clear, even if there is an aspect of a method, program, terminal, device, server or system (hereinafter referred to as a "method, etc.") that performs an operation different from that described in this specification, each aspect of the present invention is directed to an operation that is the same as any of the operations described in this specification, and the existence of an operation different from that described in this specification does not make the method, etc. outside the scope of each aspect of the present invention.

[0034] Furthermore, the "start" and "end" shown in Figures 4 and 5 below are merely examples, and do not mean that the method of this embodiment necessarily starts with S401 or S501, or necessarily ends with S403 or S505.

[0035] Inbound Processing The management device 300 receives input of receiving data when an ordered product is received (S401). In addition to receiving the receiving data via a computer network, the management device 300 may read information written on the packaging of the received product with an information processing terminal at the pharmacy and transmit the information to the management device 300, or manually input the information from an input screen for confirming the information and inputting the data to the management device 300.

[0036] The inventory data includes the GS1 code and order quantity for one or more products. For example, if you are ordering two 24 cans of Ensure Liquid, vanilla flavor, 250mL each, the GS1 code is "14987439095780" and the order quantity is "2".

[0037] Next, the management device 300 refers to the first correspondence between the GS1 code and the management code to determine the management code associated with the product (S402-1). The management device 300 also refers to the second correspondence between the GS1 code and the quantity per packaging unit associated with the GS1 code to determine the stocked quantity (S402-2). Here, the first and second correspondences required may be stored as a single table or may be stored as separate tables as necessary, and are not limited to a table-type data structure. For example, a B-tree may be adopted.

[0038] Then, the management device 300 adds the quantity of the one or more received products to the stock amounts of those products included in the stock data, and updates the stock data (S403).

[0039] Outbound Processing The management device 300 receives input of prescription data of a prescription received from a patient (S501). In addition to the case where the prescription data is read by an information processing terminal at a pharmacy and transmitted to the management device 300, the prescription data may be manually input from an input screen for confirming the information and inputting data to the management device 300, or may be received by the management device 300 via a computer network.

[0040] The prescription data includes the YJ code and the prescription quantity for one or more products. For example, if 2500mL of vanilla Ensure Liquid is prescribed, the YJ code is represented as "3259109S1025" and the prescription quantity is represented as "2500mL."

[0041] Next, the management device 300 refers to a third association between the YJ code and one or more management codes that may correspond to the YJ code, and determines one or more management codes that may correspond to the prescribed product (S502). Here, the third association may be to associate the second area 102, which is a part included in the management code 100, or an attribute represented by it with the YJ code instead of or in addition to the management code, but the following will be described using an example of a management code.

[0042] Next, the management device 300 judges whether the number of management codes that can correspond to the YJ code of each product included in the prescription data is multiple or not (S503). If there are multiple management codes, the management device 300 determines the ratio of each management code that corresponds to each YJ code (S504), and updates the inventory data by subtracting the prescription quantity of the YJ code from the inventory quantity associated with each management code according to the predicted ratio (S505). If there is only one, the management device 300 updates the inventory data by subtracting the prescription quantity of the YJ code from the inventory quantity associated with the management code (S505).

[0043] Here, it has been described that a determination is made as to whether the management code corresponding to the YJ code is single or multiple, but more generally, one or multiple management codes are associated with the YJ code, and the inventory data is updated by subtracting the prescription quantity of the product represented by the YJ code according to the proportion of each associated management code.

[0044] Based on the relationship between the YJ code and the management code shown in FIG. 2, the YJ code "3259109S1025" can correspond to three management codes "3259109S1-00273-015584", "3259109S1-00273-015585" and "3259109S1-00273-015586" depending on the taste. The ratio of each management code corresponding to the YJ code of each product can be determined based on a prediction model generated by machine learning using the delivery history data of each pharmacy. As an example, a machine learning model that predicts the ratio of each management code can be constructed and used from the past delivery history data of a pharmacy that received a prescription including the YJ code "3259109S1025" using the delivery tendency of each product to which a management code that can correspond to the YJ code is assigned as an explanatory variable. If this model predicts that 250 mL of vanilla flavor, 250 mL of coffee flavor, and 250 mL of strawberry flavor have been prescribed at 70%, 30%, and 0%, respectively, then in order to manage inventory by management code, 70% of the prescribed quantity would be subtracted from the inventory quantity associated with "3259109S1-00273-015584," and 30% of the prescribed quantity would be subtracted from the inventory quantity associated with "3259109S1-00273-015585."

[0045] It may also be based on a prediction model generated by machine learning using delivery history data of multiple pharmacies, in which case predictions for pharmacies for which delivery history data has not yet been accumulated are also possible. More simply, the proportion of management codes to be associated with the YJ code may be determined by estimation based on the sales ratio of each product in the delivery history data of each pharmacy, or by maximum likelihood estimation using delivery history data of each pharmacy or multiple pharmacies. The machine learning may also be machine learning including maximum likelihood estimation. Furthermore, as for the prediction model for determining the proportion of one or multiple management codes to be associated with the YJ code, in addition to using delivery history data, it is also possible to use order history data, prescription data, etc. of each pharmacy or multiple pharmacies. These data may be used alone or in combination.

[0046] In the above example, if the pharmacist who received the prescription could manually input which flavor it was into the management device 300, the prescription quantity to be subtracted for each management code could be accurately determined, but since the pharmacist cannot necessarily bear such a task, the above prediction may be useful. When the pharmacist inputs the information, the ratio of one or more management codes corresponding to the YJ code may be determined based on the input, but when the pharmacist does not input the information, the ratio may be determined using a prediction model generated by machine learning. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 100 Management Code 101 First Area 102 Second Area 103 The Third Region 300 Management device 301 Communications Department 302 Processing section 303 Storage section 304 Database

Claims

1. 1. A method for managing inventory of goods in a medical institution, the method comprising: A step of a computer receiving input of prescription data; The computer determines one or more management codes that may correspond to the YJ code based on the YJ code included in the prescription data; The computer subtracts the stock amount corresponding to each determined management code based on the prescription quantity of the YJ code. Including, The control code has fields that represent attributes that are any of the following: packaging type, flavor, dosage, and combinations thereof.

2. 2. The method of claim 1 , The determining step includes a step of determining a proportion of each of the determined management codes.

3. A program for causing a computer to execute a method for managing inventory of goods in a medical institution, the method comprising: A step of a computer receiving input of prescription data; The computer determines one or more management codes that may correspond to the YJ code based on the YJ code included in the prescription data; The computer subtracts the stock amount corresponding to each determined management code based on the prescription quantity of the YJ code. Including, The control code has fields that represent attributes that are any of the following: packaging type, flavor, dosage, and combinations thereof.

4. An apparatus for managing inventory of goods in a medical institution, the apparatus comprising: Accepts prescription data input, Based on the YJ code included in the prescription data, determine one or more management codes that may correspond to the YJ code; The inventory amount corresponding to each determined management code is subtracted based on the prescription quantity of the YJ code, The control code has fields that represent attributes that are any of the following: packaging type, flavor, dosage, and combinations thereof.

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