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CPOM Certification Program
Module 10: Operational Process Improvement
From Firefighting to Systematic Improvement: Applying Engineering Principles to Pharmacy Operations.
Becoming an Architect of Efficiency and Safety
Throughout your career, you have become an expert troubleshooter. You can solve nearly any problem thrown your way—a missing dose, a complex insurance rejection, a staffing shortage on a busy afternoon. You are a master of reactive problem-solving, a firefighter extinguishing the blaze of the day. This is an essential and admirable skill.
This module is designed to elevate you from a firefighter to a fire marshal. A fire marshal doesn’t just put out fires; they study the building’s architecture, wiring, and systems to prevent fires from ever starting. This is the essence of Operational Process Improvement. It is the shift from treating the symptoms of a dysfunctional process to performing a root cause analysis and re-engineering the system to be inherently safer, more efficient, and more reliable.
We will introduce you to the time-tested, evidence-based methodologies of Lean and Six Sigma—principles born in high-reliability manufacturing and adapted for the high-stakes world of healthcare. You will learn to see your pharmacy not as a collection of people and tasks, but as a complex system of interconnected processes. You will gain the tools to make those processes visible, measure their performance, identify waste and sources of error, and implement sustainable solutions. By mastering these skills, you will move beyond managing the chaos to architecting a state of continuous, systematic improvement.
Your Guide to Process Mastery
This module will equip you with a structured, engineering-based approach to identifying and solving the root causes of operational challenges in your pharmacy.
Introduction to Lean and Six Sigma in Pharmacy Operations
A foundational deep dive into the two most powerful process improvement methodologies. We will translate the core principles of Lean (eliminating waste) and Six Sigma (reducing variation and defects) into the specific context of pharmacy workflows.
Process Mapping and Value Stream Analysis
You cannot improve a process you do not understand. Learn the techniques of process mapping (flowcharting) and value stream mapping to make your current state visible, identify bottlenecks, and distinguish value-added steps from wasteful ones.
Root Cause Analysis and Corrective Action Implementation
Move beyond quick fixes. This section provides a masterclass in structured problem-solving tools like the “5 Whys” and fishbone diagrams to uncover the true root cause of errors and recurring problems, enabling you to design effective and lasting corrective actions.
Standardization, Error Proofing, and Efficiency Tools
A practical toolkit for building better processes. Learn the power of standard work, visual controls, and “poka-yoke” (error-proofing) to create workflows that are not only efficient but are designed to make it easy to do the right thing and hard to do the wrong thing.
Real-World Case Studies in Pharmacy Process Optimization
Apply your new knowledge to real-life pharmacy challenges. We will walk through detailed case studies—from reducing medication turnaround times to improving inventory accuracy—applying the Lean and Six Sigma frameworks from problem identification to solution implementation.
