The Right Stock at the Right Time

Pharmacy hubs have automated dispensing, but stock control is still done by hand. A new partnership between Centred Solutions and ATL Systems sets out to change that.

Hub stock control is still stuck in the past

Hub and spoke dispensing has changed how many pharmacies work. Prescriptions are assembled centrally, at scale, and sent out to branches ready to hand over to the patient. Yet, at most hubs, stock management still relies on manual counts, spreadsheets and educated guesses.

From our work with pharmacy hubs we have seen: :

• Manual stock counting. Counting and tracking stock by hand takes time and adds to running costs.
• Blind ordering. Orders based on estimates lead to shortages on some lines and overstocking on others.
• Labour-intensive replenishment. Manual ordering increases error risk, workload and leads to wasted resource.
• No real-time visibility. Without live stock data, patient orders can go unfulfilled from the hub or be delayed.
• Charging back to spokes. Hubs often can't see the value of stock supplied to spokes, which makes accurate invoicing difficult.
• No way to plan for future demand. Stock can't be reserved for upcoming orders, such as care home cycles.

These issues all cost hubs time, money and the capacity to fulfil more orders centrally.

Introducing ATL Inventory Management for FLOWRx

ATL Inventory Management for FLOWRx is new software built specifically for pharmacy hubs. It replaces admin-heavy, manual stock management with an automated process that runs on real data.

It is the result of two specialists working together. Centred Solutions, the hub and spoke experts behind the FLOWRx platform, brings end-to-end workflow expertise. ATL Systems, specialists in pharmacy inventory tracking and control, brings its inventory management software and reporting.

Until now, there has been no solution that automates inventory management for pharmacy hubs. There was a clear gap in the market for hubs wanting to make this time-heavy process efficient and order only the stock they really need. ATL Inventory Management for FLOWRx fills that gap. It is the only hub solution that automates stock management, ordering and invoicing, with real-time visibility and reporting built in.

How it works

ATL Inventory Management for FLOWRx sits alongside the FLOWRx dispensing workflow, so stock levels update as the hub works:

1. Demand comes in. FLOWRx Connect gathers drug demand from every store throughout the day and passes it to ATL Inventory Management continuously.
2. Stock is checked against demand. The software compares that demand with the stock held in the hub. When a line hits its minimum par level, a reorder is triggered.
3. Orders are approved in seconds. Orders and invoices are generated automatically and sent to Cascade or your wholesaler system. A member of the team simply signs them off.
4. Stock is deducted at dispatch. Stock comes off the shelf count at the point of toting and dispatch, so any cancellations or changes up to that point are taken into account.
5. Deliveries are added back. New stock from the wholesaler is added to hub inventory when it arrives.

Real-time stock levels can be viewed at any time. If needed, invoices can be raised for each spoke based on the stock used to fulfil its orders.

What it means for your hub

Save valuable time. Manual stock management at the hub becomes a thing of the past, freeing up staff time and resource.

Improved visibility. See real-time stock levels at the touch of a button, backed by reports that give valuable insight.

Only order what's needed. Orders are based on demand and triggered when par levels are reached. You hold only the stock you need, which saves shelf space too.

Reduce waste. No more over-ordering that leaves medicines to go out of date on the shelf.

Fulfil more orders at the hub. Demand-based ordering reduces the risk of stock-outs, so more orders can be completed at the hub rather than falling back to the spoke.

Invoice your spokes. For hubs supplying spokes that are separate legal entities, invoices can be produced based on the stock used to fulfil each spoke's orders.

From admin burden to automated, data-driven control

Pharmacy hubs have invested heavily in automating dispensing. ATL Inventory Management for FLOWRx brings the same thinking to stock control. It is the first truly automated inventory management solution built for pharmacy hubs, and the only one that will interface with any Cascade system or wholesaler.

The result is simple: the right stock, at the right time, automatically.

To find out how ATL Inventory Management for FLOWRx could work in your hub, contact the Centred Solutions team at enquiries@centredsolutions.co.uk.