Apparatus, method and program for ordering products at medical institutions

Abstract

To improve efficiency of product order processing in medical institutions.SOLUTION: First, an apparatus 100 sets a reference time point such as a reference date (S201), Secondly, the apparatus 100 acquires forecast demand data up to the reference time point (S202). The apparatus 100 calculates a forecast stock quantity in the reference time point based on the forecast demand data (S203). Then, the apparatus 100 determines whether or not the forecast stock quantity in the reference date is equal to or less than a first stock quantity defined to be less than a reference stock quantity, or less than that (S204). When the forecast stock quantity is equal to or less than the first stock quantity or less than that, the apparatus 100 determines that an order quantity of the product becomes equal to or more than a difference between the first stock quantity and the forecast stock quantity (S205). Since each product has a minimum order unit, the order quantity is determined to be a multiple of the minimum order unit. The apparatus 100 transmits a proposal for the determined order quantity to a medical institution 110 (S206).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus, a method, and a program for performing product ordering processing in a medical institution. [Background technology]

[0002] Pharmacies and other medical institutions purchase medicines from wholesalers and other retailers, prepare one or more medicines prescribed for patients as necessary, and dispense them to patients who visit the pharmacy. Since medical institutions need to dispense medicines upon request from patients, they strive to maintain sufficient stock of both types and quantities.

[0003] Each drug is assigned a code to identify it, and even if the active ingredients are the same, different codes may be assigned to different products if they are made by different manufacturers. In actual distribution, each product is sold in a certain unit, 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 sales packaging unit of 10 PTP packaging sheets containing 10 tablets of "Loxonin Tablets 60 mg" is assigned the code "14987081105400" according to the GS1 system. Medical institutions specify these codes to purchase the type and amount of products they need. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, at present, medical institutions are unable to properly manage which types of products to order, how much, and when to place orders, and instead process orders based on past experience, resulting in inefficiencies such as inventory shortages and having to request urgent deliveries, or, conversely, excess inventory.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to improve the efficiency of product ordering processing in medical institutions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve this object, a first aspect of the present invention is a method for processing orders for products at a medical institution, comprising the steps of: setting a reference date; obtaining a first predicted value of demand quantity at the medical institution on a daily or daily basis for each product represented by a first code until the reference date; obtaining a second predicted value of inventory quantity for each product on a daily or daily basis until the reference date; calculating a predicted inventory quantity for each product after the close of business on the reference date based on the first predicted value and the second predicted value; determining for each product whether the predicted inventory quantity is less than or equal to a first inventory quantity that is less than a reference inventory quantity set for each product at the medical institution; and if the determination result is positive, proposing an order for an order quantity equal to or greater than the difference between the first inventory quantity and the predicted inventory quantity, the order quantity being placed more than the number of delivery days or delivery time required before the reference date.

[0007] A second aspect of the present invention is the method of the first aspect, wherein the first predicted value is an expectation value.

[0008] A third aspect of the present invention is the method according to the first aspect, wherein the first predicted value is a lower limit value of a confidence interval by interval estimation.

[0009] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a method of any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the order quantity is a multiple of the quantity included in an order unit represented by a second code different from the first code.

[0010] A fifth aspect of the present invention is the method according to the fourth aspect, wherein the order quantity is equal to or greater than the difference between the reference stock quantity and the projected stock quantity.

[0011] In addition, a sixth aspect of the present invention is a method of the fifth aspect, wherein the order quantity is less than or equal to the difference between a second inventory amount exceeding the standard inventory amount and the predicted inventory amount, the second inventory amount being determined for each product depending on the total inventory amount that can be secured for the medical institution's products.

[0012] In addition, a seventh aspect of the present invention is a method of any of the first to sixth aspects, comprising the steps of acquiring actual values ​​of demand quantity on an hourly, minutely or secondly basis at the medical institution on that day for each product represented by the first code, calculating an estimated inventory quantity for that day for each product after the close of business on that day based on the actual values ​​for that day, determining for each product whether the estimated inventory quantity for that day is less than or equal to the first inventory quantity at the medical institution, and if the determination result is positive, proposing to order for same-day delivery an order quantity equal to or greater than the difference between the first inventory quantity and the estimated inventory quantity for that day.

[0013] In addition, an eighth aspect of the present invention is a method for processing an order for a product at a medical institution, comprising the steps of receiving an order request for a product represented by a first code from a medical institution terminal used by the medical institution, setting a reference date after the delivery date of the product ordered based on the order request, obtaining a first predicted value of a demand quantity of the product at the medical institution on a daily or daily basis until the reference date, obtaining a second predicted value of an inventory quantity of the product on a daily or daily basis until the reference date, calculating a predicted inventory quantity for each of the products after the close of business on the reference date based on the first predicted value and the second predicted value, determining whether the predicted inventory quantity is less than or equal to a first inventory quantity that is less than a reference inventory quantity set for each product at the medical institution, and if the determination result is positive, proposing an order for an order quantity equal to or greater than the difference between the first inventory quantity and the predicted inventory quantity, the order quantity being at least the number of delivery days or time required for delivery before the reference date.

[0014] Further, a ninth aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute a method for processing orders for products at a medical institution, the method including the steps of: setting a reference date; acquiring a first predicted value of demand quantity at the medical institution on a daily or date / time basis for each product represented by a first code until the reference date; acquiring a second predicted value of inventory quantity for each product on a daily or date / time basis until the reference date; calculating a predicted inventory quantity for each product after the close of business on the reference date based on the first predicted value and the second predicted value; determining for each product whether the predicted inventory quantity is less than or equal to a first inventory quantity that is less than a reference inventory quantity set for each product at the medical institution; and if the determination result is positive, proposing an order for an order quantity equal to or greater than the difference between the first inventory quantity and the predicted inventory quantity, the order quantity being at least the number of delivery days or time required for delivery before the reference date.

[0015] In addition, a tenth aspect of the present invention is a device for processing orders for products at a medical institution, which sets a reference date, obtains a first predicted value of demand quantity at the medical institution on a daily or daily basis for each product represented by a first code until the reference date, obtains a second predicted value of inventory quantity for each product on a daily or daily basis until the reference date, calculates a predicted inventory quantity for each product after the close of business on the reference date based on the first predicted value and the second predicted value, determines for each product whether the predicted inventory quantity is less than or equal to a first inventory quantity that is less than a reference inventory quantity set for each product at the medical institution, and if the determination result is positive, proposes ordering an order quantity equal to or greater than the difference between the first inventory quantity and the predicted inventory quantity, the order being placed more than the number of delivery days or delivery time required before the reference date. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, the predicted inventory amount for each product on a reference date is compared with a first inventory amount set for each product at the medical institution, and an appropriate ordering suggestion is made if the predicted inventory amount is equal to or less than the first inventory amount, thereby reducing the possibility of running out of inventory for each product on the reference date. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an apparatus for ordering products according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the flow of a product ordering method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a change in inventory amount accompanying product ordering according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a change in inventory amount accompanying a product order according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the flow of a product ordering method according to a 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) 1 shows an apparatus for ordering products according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus 100 transmits an ordering suggestion to a medical institution terminal 110 used by a medical institution based on predicted demand data, and transmits ordering data to a distributor terminal (not shown) as necessary after receiving an ordering request from the medical institution terminal 110. The predicted demand data includes a predicted value of a demand quantity per day or per day for each product represented by a first code, and the ordering data includes a value of an order quantity per day or per day for each packaging unit identified by a second code corresponding to the first code.

[0020] The device 100 includes a communication unit 101 such as a communication interface, a processing unit 102 such as a processor or CPU, and a storage unit 103 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 device 100 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 103 or the device 100, and may be executed by the processing unit 102. In FIG. 1, a database 104 is shown as a storage device or storage medium accessible from the device 100. The database 104 may be a component constituting the device 100, and data stored therein may be stored in the storage unit 103.

[0021] The database 104 stores inventory data that is a correspondence between a first code and an inventory amount of a product represented by the first code. When an ordered product is received, the inventory amount of the product increases, and when a product prescribed to a patient is sold and shipped, the inventory amount of the product decreases. For example, the inventory amount after business hours on the next day is calculated by adding the inventory amount at the calculation time of the day to the predicted inventory amount from the calculation time of the day to the close of business on the next day, and subtracting the predicted inventory amount from the calculation time of the day to the close of business on the next day. More generally, the predicted inventory amount at the reference time of the next day is calculated by adding the inventory amount at the calculation time of the day to the predicted inventory amount from the calculation time of the day to the reference time of the next day, and subtracting the predicted inventory amount from the calculation time of the day to the reference time of the next day. More generally, the predicted inventory amount at the reference time is calculated by adding the inventory amount at the calculation time to the predicted inventory amount from the calculation time to the reference time, and subtracting the predicted inventory amount from the calculation time to the reference time, where the reference time may be a date and time several days later, or may be a date and time after the calculation time of the day. Also, in this specification, "stocking" means that a product is received and added to inventory, and "shipping" means that a product is sold and removed from inventory.

[0022] The device 100 according to the present embodiment determines the date on which the product should be ordered so that the predicted inventory amount of the product at the reference time point is not equal to or less than the first inventory amount, thereby making it possible to efficiently prevent inventory shortages. This will be described in detail below. In this specification, the "reference inventory amount" means an inventory amount that is a reference determined for each product in a medical institution, the "first inventory amount" means an inventory amount that is less than the reference inventory amount determined for each product in a medical institution, and the "second inventory amount" means an inventory amount that is more than the reference inventory amount determined for each product in a medical institution. The first inventory amount may be, for example, a safety inventory amount. The second inventory amount may be, for example, a maximum inventory amount of the product determined based on the maximum inventory amount that can be secured for all products in a medical institution.

[0023] First, the device 100 sets a reference time point such as a reference date (S201). For example, the reference time point may be set to a time point after the closing time of the next day. Next, the device 100 acquires predicted demand data up to the reference time point (S202). The predicted demand data may be generated using various data, such as past delivery history data, order history data, and prescription data, of the medical institution that processes the order, either alone or in combination. It may also be possible to use data from a medical institution other than the medical institution. The predicted demand data may be received by the device 100 via a computer network or may be generated by the device 100.

[0024] The forecast demand data is, for example, a forecast value of the demand quantity on a daily or date-by-date basis for each product represented by a first code, where the first code is a code for identifying each product in inventory management. Specifically, a YJ code or a unique management code may be used. For example, the forecast value of the demand quantity may be expressed by an expected value, an interval estimate, or a lower limit of a confidence interval based on the interval estimate.

[0025] The device 100 calculates the predicted inventory amount at the reference time based on the predicted demand data (S203). When ordering a product, for example, the delivery date or delivery time is determined depending on the supplier. Therefore, by associating the delivery date or delivery time of each ordered product with the order data in the database 104, the device 100 can predict the quantity of each product to be stored between the calculation time and the reference time by accessing the order data before storage and the delivery date or delivery time associated therewith. Since the predicted outgoing amount up to the reference time can be predicted based on the predicted demand data, the device 100 can calculate the predicted inventory amount at the reference time. The delivery date or delivery time may be a part of the order data as necessary. In addition, if the reference time is after business hours or before business hours, it is not necessary to know the time of delivery, but it is sufficient to know the delivery date, and it is not necessary to know the demand quantity until the outgoing date and time, but it is sufficient to know the outgoing amount on a daily basis. Furthermore, the inventory amount at the time of calculation can be the actual inventory amount at that time or an amount corresponding thereto, and does not necessarily have to be the inventory amount at that time strictly. Here, when the upper limit value of the confidence interval by interval estimation is used as the predicted value of the demand quantity, the predicted inventory amount becomes the lower limit value of the confidence interval. In the following, for simplicity, the reference point is after the closing time of the reference day including the reference point, and is called the reference day, but it should be noted that the present invention is also applicable when the reference point is a point within business hours.

[0026] Next, the device 100 determines whether the predicted inventory amount on the reference date is equal to or less than the first inventory amount (S204). The first inventory amount may be determined for each product as a quantity that should not fall below that amount, and stored in the database 104. The reference date may be the same day or several days later, but for simplicity, the following description assumes the reference date to be a time point after the closing time of business several days later. Also, the period from ordering to delivery may differ depending on the supplier and the product, but if the order is completed by a specified time on the day, the product will be delivered by the closing time of business the next day, and the calculation time of the predicted inventory amount is set to be before the specified time.

[0027] If the predicted inventory amount is equal to or less than the first inventory amount, the device 100 determines an order quantity for the product so that the order quantity is equal to or greater than the difference between the first inventory amount and the predicted inventory amount (S205). Since each product has a minimum order unit, the order quantity is a multiple of the minimum order unit. The device 100 then transmits an order proposal for the determined order quantity to the medical institution terminal 110 (S206). The order proposal preferably includes a date or date and time that is the order deadline that is at least the number of delivery days or the required delivery time before the reference date, so that the product will be in stock by the reference date.

[0028] After receiving an order request corresponding to the ordering proposal from the medical institution terminal 110, the device 100 can generate order data corresponding to the ordering proposal and transmit it to the vendor terminal. The generation of the order data may be performed simultaneously with or before the transmission of the ordering proposal. The device 100 may receive an order request with contents different from the ordering proposal and transmit order data corresponding to the received contents to the vendor terminal as necessary. As an example, the ordering proposal may be transmitted as HTML format data with changeable order conditions on the display screen of the medical institution terminal 110, and an order request for a quantity different from the determined order quantity included in the ordering proposal may be received. It is also possible that the ordering quantity is not determined in the device 100 and the ordering proposal does not include a designation of the order quantity. It is also possible that the delivery deadline may be variable or not included.

[0029] If the predicted inventory amount is greater than or equal to the first inventory amount, the device 100 may reset the reference date, such as by incrementing the reference date. If the reference date is reset, the same process is repeated. Even if the predicted inventory amount is greater than or equal to the first inventory amount, if a predetermined condition is satisfied, the device 100 may proceed to determining the order quantity and transmitting an order proposal.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the fluctuation of the inventory amount due to the order processing according to the present embodiment. The horizontal axis is the date, and the vertical axis is the inventory amount after the closing time. Here, the expected inventory amount is an interval estimation, with the solid line representing the expected value, the dotted line above the solid line representing the upper limit of the confidence interval, and the dotted line below the solid line representing the lower limit of the confidence interval. As the business days of the medical institution pass, the expected inventory amount decreases, and when it is determined that the first inventory amount set to a level less than the reference inventory amount on the base date falls below the lower limit, the delivery period is assumed to be one day, and the business day before that becomes the mandatory order date. By placing an order on the mandatory order date, the ordered quantity of goods is received on the base date the following day, and it is possible to prevent the lower limit of the confidence interval from falling below the minimum inventory amount as shown in the figure.

[0031] The order quantity is preferably a multiple of the quantity included in the order unit represented by a second code, such as a GS1 code, different from the first code, and the ordered quantity is preferably equal to or greater than the reference stock quantity when it is received. In the illustrated example, a quantity is ordered such that the expected value of the forecasted stock quantity exceeds the reference stock quantity.

[0032] In addition, it is preferable to determine the order quantity so that the predicted value of the predicted inventory amount is equal to or less than the second inventory amount of the target medical institution. In the illustrated example, if the expected value is the predicted value, the inventory amount exceeds the reference inventory amount and is less than the second inventory amount, but if the upper limit of the confidence interval is the predicted value, the inventory amount exceeds the second inventory amount. In order to increase the possibility of avoiding the risk that the inventory amount will exceed the second inventory amount, it is preferable to set the upper limit to or less than the second inventory amount.

[0033] As described above, since the order quantity is a multiple of the quantity included in the order unit represented by the second code, it is not preferable to place an additional order until the ordered quantity is received and is equal to or less than the second inventory amount. In Fig. 3, the orderable date represents the first day when the expected inventory amount for the next day plus the quantity of the minimum order unit is equal to or less than the second inventory amount.

[0034] As described above, by comparing the predicted inventory quantity for each product on the reference date with a first inventory quantity that is less than the standard inventory quantity set for each product at the medical institution, and making an order proposal when the predicted inventory quantity is equal to or less than the first inventory quantity, the possibility of running out of inventory for each product on the reference date can be reduced.

[0035] Second Embodiment FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the fluctuation of the stock amount due to the ordering process according to this embodiment. The horizontal axis is the date, and the vertical axis is the stock amount after the closing time. The stock amount of a certain product decreases from February 1st, an order is placed on February 5th, and an amount that reaches the standard stock amount is received on February 6th. After that, the stock amount repeats decreasing and increasing, and on February 16th it falls below the first stock amount. This is not expected to occur if the ordering process according to this embodiment is performed, but it can occur when the demand amount on the 16th greatly exceeds the forecast. In such a case, the medical institution needs to urgently request delivery during business hours on the 16th. For this purpose, in the second embodiment, actual values ​​such as changes in the inventory amount on the day in units of hours, minutes, or seconds are acquired (S501), and it is determined whether the estimated inventory amount after the closing time estimated based on the actual values ​​(S502) will be equal to or less than the first inventory amount (S503), and if the determination result is positive, the device 100 determines the order quantity (S504) and transmits an order proposal based on delivery conditions for same-day delivery to the medical institution terminal 110 (S505). The inventory quantity and order quantity can be determined by any of the methods described in the first embodiment.

[0036] As in the first embodiment, the device 100 may receive an order request with contents different from the order proposal, and transmit order data according to the received contents to the vendor terminal as necessary. As an example, the order proposal may be transmitted as HTML format data with changeable order conditions on the display screen of the medical institution terminal 110, and an order request for a quantity different from the determined order quantity included in the order proposal may be received. It is also possible that the order quantity is not determined in the device 100, and the order proposal does not include a designation of the order quantity. Similarly, it is also possible that the delivery deadline may be variable or not included.

[0037] (Third embodiment) In the second embodiment, a proposal to place an order on the mandatory order date is mainly described as being sent to the medical institution terminal 110, but in the third embodiment, a proposal to delay the order is made in cases where the medical institution makes an order request in advance. Specifically, when the device 100 receives an order request for a product represented by a first code from the medical institution terminal 110, it sets a reference date that is before or after the delivery date of the order based on the order request. Then, it performs the same process as in the second embodiment.

[0038] If the base date is set after the delivery date of the order based on the order request, the resulting order proposal sent from the device 100 to the medical institution terminal 110 will be an order with a delivery date later than the initial delivery date. If the base date is set to the same as the delivery date of the order based on the order request, when the expected inventory amount falls below the first inventory amount, the delivery date will be the same even if an order proposal is sent, so it is preferable to proceed with the order based on the initial order request without sending an order proposal. Also, if the order amount based on the order request is less than the difference between the first inventory amount and the expected inventory amount on the base date, an order proposal with a more preferable order amount may be sent even if the delivery date is the same.

[0039] In this way, it is possible to reduce the frequency of delivery to a medical institution by sending an order proposal with a delayed delivery date when possible in response to an order request received from the medical institution terminal 110. For a medical institution, optimizing the frequency of delivery reduces the workload of pharmacies, which leads to reduced labor costs.

[0040] In addition, reducing the frequency of delivery also reduces the workload of the distributor, and the distributor can discount the product price to a certain extent if the frequency of delivery is reduced. Therefore, one example of an order proposal for a delayed delivery date could include a discount proposal for the product price, which can increase the possibility that the medical institution will accept the order proposal for a delayed delivery date.

[0041] In the above embodiment, it should be noted that unless there is a statement of "only" such as "based on XX", "depending only on XX", or "only in the case of XX", it is assumed in this specification that additional information may be taken into consideration. Also, as an example, it should be noted that the statement "do b in the case of a" does not necessarily mean "always do b in the case of a" or "do b immediately after a" unless expressly stated. Also, 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] Moreover, the "start" and "end" shown in FIG. 2 are merely examples, and do not necessarily mean that the method according to this embodiment starts at S201 or ends at S205. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 100 devices 101 Communications Department 102 Processing section 103 Storage section 104 Database 110 Medical institution terminal

Claims

1. A method for processing an order for a product at a medical institution, comprising: A step of calculating a predicted inventory amount of the product at a reference time point during the day based on an actual inventory amount value of the day by a computer; a step of determining whether the predicted inventory amount is equal to or less than a first inventory amount predetermined for each product at the medical institution; When the determination result is positive, the computer transmits to a terminal used by the medical institution a proposal to order an order quantity equal to or greater than the difference between the first inventory amount and the predicted inventory amount. Includes.

2. 2. The method of claim 1 , The method further includes a step of receiving, by the computer, from the terminal, a request for placing an order in response to the proposal within the same day.

3. 2. The method of claim 1 , The method further includes a step of the computer receiving, from the terminal, a request for placing an order during the same day, the request having content different from the proposal.

4. 2. The method of claim 1 , The proposal is an order proposal with same-day delivery as a delivery condition.

5. A program for causing a computer to execute a method for ordering a product in a medical institution, the method comprising: calculating a predicted inventory amount of the product at a reference time point during the day based on an actual inventory amount value of the day; determining whether the predicted inventory amount is equal to or less than a first inventory amount predetermined for each commodity at the medical institution; If the determination result is positive, transmitting to a terminal used by the medical institution a proposal to order an order quantity equal to or greater than the difference between the first inventory amount and the predicted inventory amount. Includes.

6. A device for processing product orders at a medical institution, Calculating a predicted inventory amount of the product at a reference point in time, which is a point in time, based on an actual inventory amount value of the day; determining whether the predicted inventory amount is equal to or less than a first inventory amount predetermined for each product at the medical institution; If the determination result is positive, the medical institution is configured to transmit, to a terminal used by the medical institution, a proposal to order an order quantity equal to or greater than the difference between the first stock amount and the predicted stock amount.

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