Drug Procurement And Distribution Tracking System

Computer Science Project Material with Source Code Included

Abstract

Drug procurement and distribution tracking system is a set of computer programs that obtains the supplies of drugs, distribute the drugs and monitors the inventory control of the drugs. Using the pharmaceutical department of Portharcourt University teaching hospital as a case study, the department using manual method to operate lacks good storage of information system for drugs. Recording system tends to be complex and the method of tracking expired drug is poor. The good approach to this problem is to involve the use of computer by designing the form, using Access in developing the database and Visual basic as the programming language, to enable keeping accurate record of drug and prevent sales of expired drug. This guarantees the people right to good health care and ensures that drugs received are genuine and safe.

Chapter One

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background of Study

Computerization according to oxford dictionary is defined as the control processes with the use of computers and its peripherals. Today it would be difficult to think of any process, business or action that could not be profited from the numerous benefits of the computer system. Controlling process or devices with computer started long ago since the invention of computer. In the 20th century inventors tried to make process easier with the use of computers. (Wikipedia). Secondly computerization has been greatly applied or used in controlling process that requires frequent action such as drug procurement, drug management, drug tracking and drug distributions in hospital management information system in pharmacy department of hospital.

This project is to provide a computer based information management system in a pharmacy department of the University Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital Choba by designing a cost effective, user friendly application, incorporating key attributes of data integrity and system security suitable for use in the pharmacy department of the hospital. The overall aim of this project is optimization of time and material in the processing of data needed for effective operation of large pharmacy department of a hospital. In doing this, data integrity must be compromise as consistency is ensured and data redundancy eliminated.

Drugs are the chemical substances that are administered to patients for curative purposes and prophylaxis. It can also be referrer as a medicine, because it is the essential part of peoples care.

The ability of the computer to store and to retrieve Information at every fast and efficient rate makes it application useful in management operations. The activity of drug management involves drug procurement, drug distribution, drug tracking and its information management. While drug distribution is concern with distribution of drugs within the different medical units or departments in a hospital, and drug procurement is concern with the purchasing activities of the drugs by the pharmacy department of the hospital.

Drug tracking is concern with the continuous monitoring of the actual quantity of drugs held in the hospital pharmacy or any other drug warehouse /store and controls the stock level.

Pharmaceutical unit in a hospital is concern with drug management activities. They carry out the responsibility of making appropriate selection and drugs uses by formulating an annual, monthly, weekly or daily list for drugs requirement and management reports. However, in some hospital today , some pharmacists still operates manual system of drug management information system which can lead into some drugs management errors like problems of handling voluminous file with a short period of time, which could make data not being easily accessed, late delivery of drugs and can also lead to misplacement of patients files.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Drug procurement, tracking, distribution and information management in this regard are routine processes carried out in various hospitals across Nigeria. It is a common place to observe that these routine processes are still preformed manually or are minimally computerized even in our Teaching Hospitals. This manual approach to these routine operations has a lot of problems associated with it, ranging from poor handling of drug data of patients, lack of good storage information system for drugs and drug dispensary, delays, to the difficulty in retrieving information on drugs and patients’ records. In view of all these problems, it becomes necessary to develop a computer based drug information management system and distribution tracking system. This is what this research project is set to address by computerizing the routine processes in our hospitals and in particular that of Pharmacy Department of UNTH Enugu.

1.3 Objective of the Study

The aim is to design and implement a computerized drug information management system, drug procurement and distribution tracking system.

These includes

To order for drugs without mistake of procuring more than required.
To know the quantity of drugs remaining.
To prevent sales of expired drugs
To ensure accurate keeping of records of drugs

1.4 Significance of the Study

The benefits derivable from this work include the following:

It will provide reliable healthcare services.
It will guarantee hospital management and patients of genuine and safe drugs.
It will ensure an efficient and standard drug dispensary system.
It will provide a data base for stock taking of drugs procured and dispensed any moment.

1.5 Scope of the Study

This project will cover only the pharmaceutical department of the University of Portharcourt Teaching hospital Choba. It will present an up to date and comprehensive design of some sub-system like

Planning and control system which includes inventory control and drug distribution
Drug procurement procedure in a hospital.
The expiry status of each drugs at any point in time
The Database of all kinds, types and names of some drugs that would be store and operate on.

1.6 Assumption

It is assumed that all the information gathered with the respect to inventory control is correct as implemented by the university of Nigerian teaching hospital (UNTH) Enugu.

1.7 Limitations of the Study

Time constraint; There is limited time go and meet the hospital pharmacist for proper information.
Due to the sensitive nature of organizational information, there was reluctance to release vital information which may jeopardize the security of the organization.

1.8 Project Report Organization

This research project covers almost all you need to know about drug procurement and distribution tracking system.

Chapter one is the introduction and it covers the statement of problem, objectives of the study, significance of the study, scope of the study, assumption, limitations of the study and definition of terms.
Chapter two is the literature review; it gives the detailed meaning of every associated word in my topic.
Chapter three is the design and methodology; this involves the operation of the existing system and the method used.
Chapter four is the system analysis and implementation; which talked about the operation of the proposed system.
Chapter five is the summary, recommendation and conclusion.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Database;

A collection of logically related data to meet the information need of organization.

DBMS;

Database management software that enable the user to define, maintain Control the database.

Application Program;

A computer program that interacts with the database.

MENU;

This is a list of options presented on the screen with each option identified by short code followed by longer description of its purposes.

Drug;

It is referred to as a medicine or chemical substances that are administered to Patients for curative measures.

Pharmacy;

A placed in a hospital where medicine or chemical substances are kept, stored and prepared.

Flowchart;

A diagram that shows connection between the different stages of process of the system.

Primary Key;

The candidate key that is selected to identify the individual within the relation

Foreign Key;

An attribute or a set of attributes within one relation that matches the candidate key

Relation;

A relation is a named table with columns and rows

Attribute;

An attributes is a named column of a relation

Relation;

A relation is a table with rows and columns

Domain;

A set of allowable values for one or more table

Null;

It represents a value for an attribute that is currently unknown or not applicable

Database design;

The process of creating a design that will support emprise mission statement and mission required database e system.

Software:

These are program for computer which allows certain specific task to be accomplished e.g. word process etc.

Hardware:

Computer equipment used to perform input processing and system output activates.

Management information system:

Collection of people, database, and devices produced to use in providing routine information to manager and decision makers of the organization.

Chapter Five

Summary, Recommendation and Conclusion

5.1 Summary:

These systems underpin all the activities of drug procurement and distribution tracking system, by providing good health care and safety. It also provides fast access to drug information and the current status of drug can be obtained from the database files unlike the manual system.

This can be applied by using computer to determine the effectiveness of drug stock control; it helps in making quick decision by members of the organization.

Further enhancement should be made on drug procurement, and distribution tracking system of hospitals such as medical records, billing and general hospital.

5.2 Limitation

This work is design strictly for the use in UNTH. If any other hospital is to use it, it has to be modified.
The hospital (UNTH) has to train their staff on the use of computer system.
Some modification can be made in order to improve more on the design.

5.3 Recommendation

This work is recommended to improve in the way drug should be search. It should have a drop down menu that have lists of drugs in order to make work easy and also in the expiring date, it should have a sign to show that a drug have expired.

5.4 BEME (Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation)

ITEM	ITEM PRICE( N )
COMPACT DISK	500
MODEM	5500
TRANSPORT	5000
VB 10 TUTORIALS	20,000
PHONE CALLS	2,000
COMPUTER SYSTEM	90,000
PRINTING	2,000
BINDING	500
TOTAL	130,000

5.5 Conclusion

The benefit of using drug procurement and distribution tracking system cannot be over emphasized. This is because the system will increase the speed and accuracy of procurement, distribution and tracking of drug in pharmacy department of any hospital especially that of UNTH. It will also eliminate the case of misplacing files of patient and reduce the pilling up of papers in the office.

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