CASE STUDY
www.surecost.com
PHARMERICA’S JOURNEY TOWARDS
PATIENT-CENTRIC CARE THROUGH
BEST-IN-CLASS INVENTORY
AUTOMATION
THE COMPANY: PHARMERICA
PharMerica is a national leader in pharmacy services, serving over 3,100 long-term care, senior
living, IDD/behavioral health, home infusion, specialty pharmacy and hospital partners.
THE CHALLENGES
• Manual inventory management processes
• Limitations of tracking inventory accurately
• Inefficient and decentralized processes
THE SOLUTIONS
• Automated inventory management
• Streamlining inventory management and purchasing processes
THE CHALLENGE
PharMerica faced several challenges in their operations prior to implementing best-in-class
inventory automation. One major challenge was the manual and time-consuming nature of their
inventory management processes. With a vast range of medications, spread across multiple
departments and locations, keeping track of stock levels, monitoring expiration dates and ensuring
optimal stock levels became a complex and labor-intensive task. The pharmacy staff had to
manually update inventory records, reconcile discrepancies between different systems and
manually calculate reorder quantities. This reliance on manual data entry and paper-based systems
led to inefficiencies, errors and increased labor costs.
Additionally, the lack of real-time visibility into inventory levels often resulted in stockouts, delays
in medication delivery and frustrated patients. Without an efficient system in place, it was difficult
to obtain accurate and up-to-date information on stock availability. This often meant critical
medications weren’t readily available when needed, causing delays in patient care and impacting
satisfaction. In addition, the absence of real-time data made it challenging to forecast demand
accurately, resulting in overstocking or understocking of medications. These inconsistencies
not only increased costs, but also led to potential waste and expiration of medications, further
impacting the pharmacy’s financial health.
Gabriel Toribio
Central Purchasing Manager
~ PharMerica
Industry: Long-term and post-acute care
Number of Pharmacies: 180+
Facilities Served: 3,100
Number of Employees: 6,000+
CASE STUDY
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Furthermore, the decentralized nature of inventory management within PharMerica created
additional complexities. Each department had its own unique stock requirements, replenishment
schedules and ordering processes. Coordinating these various systems and ensuring efficient
communication between departments became a time-consuming and error-prone task. The lack of
integration between the pharmacy management system and the inventory management processes
hindered seamless operations and limited the ability to make informed decisions based on accurate,
real-time data.
THE SOLUTION
PharMerica recognized that overcoming these challenges was essential to improve their operational
efficiency, reduce costs, and ultimately enhance patient care. They sought a solution that could
automate their Inventory Manager solution processes, streamline workflows, and provide
comprehensive visibility into their inventory across departments and locations.
SureCost is a unified purchasing and inventory solution designed for pharmacies to harness insights
from their entire vendor and wholesaler catalogs. This software empowers pharmacy teams to
identify the best purchasing options while ensuring compliance and optimizing workflows. Over
5,000 pharmacy professionals across the country use SureCost every day to save more, stay
compliant and work smarter.
By implementing SureCost, PharMerica aimed to eliminate manual tasks, reduce errors, optimize
stock levels, improve order accuracy, and ultimately focus more on providing exceptional patient
care.
BENEFITS
Enhanced Operational Efficiency
SureCost’s Inventory Manager™ solution proved to be a game-changer for PharMerica. The
automation of previously manual tasks, such as maintaining up-to-date inventory records and
reconciling discrepancies, eliminated the need for time-consuming manual data entry and delivered
real-time visibility into inventory levels. With the system’s forecasting capabilities and dynamic mid-
max values, PharMerica can accurately project future demand based on historical data and adjust
reorder quantities accordingly. This proactive approach to inventory management helps prevent
stockouts and overstocking, ensuring that the pharmacy always has the right medications in the
right quantities.
A Fully Integrated Solution
Moreover, SureCost’s integration with PharMerica’s pharmacy management system facilitates
seamless data flow and eliminates the need for redundant steps in the inventory management
process. The system automatically updates inventory records and synchronizes information across
all relevant platforms, eliminating the risk of data discrepancies or duplication. The integration also
promotes better coordination between inventory management and medication dispensing, reducing
the chances of errors and delays.
The implementation of inventory automation not only saves significant time for the pharmacy
staff, but also reduces the burden of manual tasks, allowing them to focus on more critical aspects
of their roles, such as patient care and medication counseling. The streamlined workflows and
automated processes free up valuable resources, enabling PharMerica to operate more efficiently
and deliver exceptional service to their patients.
“
Instead of looking
at five different
vendors’ websites,
your pharmacy
management
system and your
inventory, with
SureCost you can
see everything in
one place.”
Gabriel Toribio
Central Purchasing Manager
~ PharMerica
CASE STUDY
www.surecost.com
Cost Reduction
SureCost’s Inventory Manager Solution empowers PharMerica with the tools and functionalities
needed to mitigate the challenges related to cost management and medication waste. The system’s
dynamic mid-max values ensure that PharMerica maintains optimal inventory levels based on actual
usage patterns and demand forecasts. By considering factors such as historical data, seasonality
and anticipated business gains or losses, SureCost provides accurate recommendations for reorder
quantities, minimizing the risk of overstocking or understocking.
Furthermore, with SureCost’s usage modifiers, PharMerica can adjust stock quantities based
on anticipated changes in business volume. For example, if PharMerica expects a 20% increase
in business, they could proactively adjust their stock levels by leveraging the usage modifier to
increase the order quantities temporarily. The usage modifier then automatically decreases as the
new usage increases and is automatically removed once that level is hit. This flexibility in managing
stock levels prevent stockouts during periods of increased demand and minimizes the financial
impact of excess inventory during slower periods.
The automation of reordering processes and the ability to set automated alerts for low stock or
discontinued items also plays a significant role in cost reduction. PharMerica can proactively
replenish their inventory, taking advantage of favorable pricing or contract terms, while avoiding rush
orders or emergency purchases at higher costs. The system’s reporting capabilities provide valuable
insights into inventory performance, enabling PharMerica to identify cost-saving opportunities,
negotiate better contracts with suppliers, and optimize their overall purchasing strategies.
Improved Patient Care
SureCost’s Inventory Manager Solution has proven to be instrumental in enhancing patient care for
those PharMerica serves. By streamlining inventory management processes and ensuring accurate
medication availability, PharMerica can prevent stockouts and delays in medication dispensing.
The automation of reordering processes and real-time visibility into inventory levels empower the
pharmacy staff to proactively address potential supply shortages and fulfill patient needs promptly.
The system’s integration with PharMerica’s pharmacy management system enables seamless
data flow, ensuring that accurate and up-to-date inventory information is readily available during
the medication dispensing process. This integration eliminates the changes of errors caused by
mismatched or outdated inventory records, enhancing medication safety and accuracy.
With the automation of manual tasks and the time saved through streamlined workflows, the
pharmacy staff has more time and resources to dedicate to patient care activities. PharMerica can
focus on providing personalized medication counseling, addressing patient concerns and ensuring
proper medication adherence. With reduced administrative burden, the staff engages more directly
with patients, fostering stronger relationships and promoting better health outcomes.
Join over 5,000 pharmacy professionals across the country who use SureCost every day
to save more, stay compliant and work smarter.
Book an Inventory Manager demo today to learn more about what smarter inventory
can do for your pharmacy.
https://info.surecost.com/talk-to-a-purchasing-and-inventory-expert?utm_campaign=RX%20
Insider&utm_source=RX%20Insider%20Case%20Study%20Ad&utm_medium=PharMerica
“
When I was a pharmacy
technician, it took one to
four hours on a good day
to complete cycle counts.
Once we implemented
SureCost’s perpetual
Inventory Manager
Solution, our counts were
easily and accurately up
to date. This cut down
purchasing and inventory
management-related tasks
to 30 minutes for my cycle
counts and 15 minutes
to confirm my order is
accurate and submit
it. I spent less time on
purchasing and freed up
my time to help in other
areas in the pharmacy.”
Gabriel Toribio
Central Purchasing Manager
~ PharMerica
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Boost Your Profits:
Unlock the Power of
Inventory Automation
“Instead of looking at five different
vendors’ websites, your pharmacy
management system and your
inventory, with SureCost you can
see everything in one place.”
Gabriel Toribio, Central Purchasing
Manager at PharMerica
SureCost Is the Smarter
Inventory Solution…
PharMerica recognized that SureCost was essential
to improving operational efficiency, reducing costs
and ultimately enhancing patient care. How?
Automated
inventory
management
processes
Streamlined
workflows
Comprehensive
visibility into
inventory across
departments and
locations
Talk to an Inventory Expert
Reduce errors
Real-time visibility into inventory levels
Optimize stock levels
Accurate and up-to-date information on
stock availability
Improve order accuracy
Forecast demand accurately with
real-time data
Book a Demo
Join over 5,000 pharmacy professionals across the country who use SureCost
every day to save more, stay compliant, and work smarter.
https://info.surecost.com/talk-to-a-purchasing-and-inventory-expert
Book a Demo. See SureCost In Person.