2SPD-002 Development and impact of a dashboard for drug shortage prediction and management: a before and after study

<h3>Background and Importance</h3> Drug shortages pose major challenges, requiring innovative approaches for effective management and mitigation. To our knowledge, no system proactively monitors and anticipates shortages to support hospital pharmacists in daily routine. <h3>Aim and Objectives</h3> This study aimed to develop and implement a dashboard to optimise drug shortage management and to evaluate its impact on logistical, financial, and time indicators. <h3>Material and Methods</h3> A dashboard was developed in-house by integrating logistical data (stock levels from the central pharmacy and over 90 automated dispensing cabinets) with clinical data (prescriptions). Two types of shortages were assessed: internal stock-outs (defined as zero stock in the pharmacy) and supplier stock-outs (drugs unavailable at the time of order). A prospective interventional study evaluated the dashboard’s impact by comparing data from a 3-month period without the tool (1 February to 30 April 2023) to a 3-month period with the tool in use (1 April to 30 June 2024). <h3>Results</h3> The dashboard implementation led to a 57% reduction in internal stock-outs (from 600 to 260), achieved by identifying drugs with less than 2 weeks of stock and insufficient supply for 72-hours prescriptions. Supplier stock-outs also decreased by 42% (from 177 to 102), while the time spent managing stock-outs fell by 24% (from 430h to 326h), leading to a 26% reduction in additional HR costs (from EUR 19,308 to EUR 14,265). Weekly working hours decreased by 32% (from 33h to 25h). Overall, the cost of stock-outs dropped by 60%, from EUR 395,115 to EUR 156,098. Despite these improvements, the root causes of supplier stock-outs remained largely unidentified in 2024 (89%, n=91/102), similarly to 2023 (87%, n=154/177). Additionally, stock-out complexity increased, with longer durations (from 37 to 49 days), a higher proportion of critical drug shortages (from 38% to 52%), and a slight decrease in the availability of alternatives (from 85% to 81%). <h3>Conclusion and Relevance</h3> Routinely implementing a dashboard significantly reduces internal stock-outs by 57% and associated costs by 60%, enhancing resilience in a complex supply chain environment. This highlights the potential of innovative technological solutions to anticipate and mitigate drug shortages in hospitals. <h3>References and/or Acknowledgements</h3> <h3>Conflict of Interest</h3> No conflict of interest