Evaluation of Workload Optimization and Reduction of Drug Loss Following the Implementation of the Pharmaceutical Traceability System (Cubixx<sup>®</sup> and NOVUMN<sup>®</sup>)

The pharmaceutical traceability system has been reported to be effective for managing high-cost drugs that require refrigeration. In our hospital, Cubixx® and NOVUMN® were introduced to reduce the inventory management burden and minimize drug loss. We evaluated the workload reduction by analyzing the emergency order rate before and after the implementation of Cubixx® and NOVUMN®. Furthermore, the economic impact was assessed by examining the return of high-cost drugs following their introduction. For drugs stored in refrigerators equipped with Cubixx® or NOVUMN®, the emergency order rate was 9.8％ in the 12 months before their implementation. In contrast, the emergency order rate decreased to 1.2％ in the 12 months following their introduction. However, their implementation increased the number of other tasks associated with inventory management, particularly in the handling of returned drugs. Within the 12 months after implementing them, 17 items and 90 units of drugs stored in these refrigerators were returned, resulting in a total refund of approximately 12,000,000 yen. Although the amount of drug loss remained unchanged during the first 12 months after implementing the traceability system because the newly purchased drugs had not yet expired, we expect that drug loss will decrease in the future. In conclusion, although the pharmaceutical traceability system may not be definitively effective in reducing workload, it contributes to drug loss prevention. The number of drugs that can be managed using the traceability system increases with the use of two distinct systems, which has the advantage of having a greater economic impact.