Analysis of the preparation and administration of medications in the hospital context based on Lean thinking

Objectives: To analyze the current way medications are prepared and administered in the hospital setting and to apply a method to establish priorities for problems detected. Method: This is an exploratory-descriptive case study. The data were collected through observation and focus groups with 13 participants who were part of a health team in a surgical inpatient unit of a public university hospital. The analysis was based on a lean production framework. Results: A value stream map was constructed of the current way drugs are prepared and administered, identifying the clients in the process and their requirements. Forty-five current problems were identified, based on requirements that were not met with eight being prioritized to improve planning. Conclusion: Having prioritized the problems, the planning and implementation of continuous improvements in the medication process were started in order to reduce errors and improve the quality of services.