Operations & Productions Management Research Paper Part II

Submitted by: Cantada, Miguel L. SLM !"

Metro Pharma Phils. Inc. (MPPI) is a Phil-based search and development pharmaceutical company engaged in the ethical marketing of top quality research-based pharmaceutical products that provide innovative solutions to the current healthcare needs of the Filipino. Metro Pharma the best

Product and Ser#ice design Strategic Capacity Process selection $uality Control

MPPI !as established by the Metro Pacific "roup (Phil subsidiary of First Pacific #o. $td) in %&'& as Metro Pacific Pharma Inc.( an affiliate division of Metro )rug( Inc set up to provide third party service marketing to its multinational principals.

*ver the past %& years( MPPI has evolved from being a third party-dependent marketing entity into !hat is kno!n today as Metro Pharma Phils(Inc.( a strong( independent pharmaceutical company !ith a solid portfolio of self-o!ned brands.

MPPI has a proven track record in building brands that have consistently surpassed industry gro!th standards. +ot only it is among the fastest gro!ing pharmaceutical company in the Philippines today( it is a market leader in several therapeutic subsegments.

MPPI,s success !as achieved based on its strategy of market driving and market sensitivity. -his direction is pursued relentlessly by a committed management team and highly motivated sales force.

Product and .ervice )esign -he Metro Pharma Phils. Inc. (MPPI) provide services include drug and disease state

information( drug preparation and distribution( and dosage monitoring services for all patients. /ll physician orders and prescriptions for medications are revie!ed by a clinical pharmacist for appropriateness of therapy !e assists the pharmacist in the selection of the most appropriate medication to treat a patient0s medical condition.

Pharmacists monitor for drug allergies( drug interactions and lab values. 1e can be consulted regarding any medication question or issue. 1e prepare and dispense oral tablets and liquids( compound bulk products and mi2ed solutions for all patients.

.trategic #apacity /t Metro Pharma Phils. Inc. (MPPI) !e are tasked to build the value-adding brand image of our high quality pharmaceutical products among medical doctors and other key practitioners and stakeholder in the medical community for us to be speedy( convenient upon filling of your prescription medications and a select variety of over the counter medications. 1e use the determinant attribute approach( a research method commonly used in marketing to identify the !ants of various consumer groups( to evaluate consumer pharmacy choice !hen having a prescription order filled in different pharmacy settings.

1e provide convenient( e2cellent( and personali3ed care. 4oth our stores offer a drivethru !indo! and delivery services to your home !hen it0s impossible or inconvenient to visit our stores. 1e offer e2tensive over-the-counter services including first aid( and cold and cough assistance( as !ell as an abundant variety of vitamin and dietary supplement products.

*ur )rugstores takes pride in offering a variety of services to our community. 1e !ork hard in partnership !ith the medical profession in enhancing healthcare quality through continuing research and development of high quality products( gaining market leadership through the value it adds to better healthcare delivery for us to do more and do better as a suppliers of best and reliable drugs nation!ide.

*ur Professional Medical 5epresentatives -4icol 5egion - #entral $u3on

- Ilocos 5egion - +ational #apital 5eg - +orthern Mindanao - 1estern Mindanao - 1estern 6isayas

Process .election *ur health plans use drugs containing brand-name and generic medicines approved by the Philippine 4ureau of Food and )rug and revie!ed and recommended by our Pharmacy and -herapeutics #ommittee. 1e !ork hard in researching and in making decisions surrounding our drug lists. 1e revie! ne! and e2isting drugs and chooses the medicines for our drug lists for several reasons( including their safety( value and ho! !ell they !ork.

1e provide essential medicines are those that satisfy the priority health care needs of the population. -hey are selected !ith due regard to disease prevalence( evidence of efficacy( safety and comparative cost-effectiveness. 7ssential medicines are intended to be available !ithin the conte2t of functioning health systems at all times in adequate amounts( in the appropriate dosage forms( !ith assured quality and adequate information( and at a price the individual and the community can afford. -he implementation of the concept of essential medicines is intended to be fle2ible and adaptable to many different situations8 e2actly !hich medicines are regarded as essential for curing a specfic illness.

It is difficult to achieve efficiency in the hospital pharmaceutical system if there are too many medicines. /ll aspects of drug management( including procurement( storage( distribution and use( are easier if fe!er items must be dealt !ith. /ppropriate selection of drugs can achieve the follo!ing results

9 #ost containment and enhanced equity in access to essential medicines Procuring fe!er items in larger quantities results in more price competition and economies of scale !ith regard to quality assurance( procurement( storage and distribution. .uch economies can lead to improved drug availability at lo!er costs( so benefiting those !ho are in most

need.

9 Improved quality of care Patients !ill be treated !ith fe!er but more cost-effective medicines for !hich information can be better provided and prescribers better trained. Prescribers gain more e2perience !ith fe!er drugs and recogni3e drug interactions and adverse reactions better. :uality of care !ill be further improved if medicine selection is based on evidence-based treatment guidelines.

*ur criterias in selecting drugs depends on many factors( such as the pattern of prevalent diseases( the treatment facilities( the training and e2perience of available personnel( the financial resources( and genetic( demographic and environmental factors 9 *nly those medicines should be selected for !hich sound and adequate data on efficacy and safety are available from clinical studies( and for !hich evidence of performance in general use in a variety of medical settings has been obtained.

9 7ach selected medicine must be available in a form in !hich adequate quality( including bioavailability( can be assured8 its stability under the anticipated conditions of storage and use must be established.

9 1hen t!o or more medicines appear to be similar in the above respects( the choice bet!een them should be made on the basis of a careful evaluation of their relative efficacy( safety( quality( price and availability.

9 In cost comparison bet!een medicines( the cost of the total treatment( and not only the unit cost of the medicine( must be considered. 1here drugs are not entirely similar( selection should be made on the basis of a cost-effectiveness analysis.

9 In some cases( the choice may also be influenced by other factors( such as pharmacokinetic properties( or by local considerations such as the availability of facilities for storage or manufacturers.

9 Most essential medicines should be formulated as single compounds. Fi2ed-ratio combination products are acceptable only !hen the dosage of each ingredient meets the

requirements of a defined population and !hen the combination has a proven advantage over single compounds administered separately in therapeutic effect( safety or compliance.

9 )rugs are specified by the international nonproprietary name or generic name !ithout reference to brand names or specific manufacturers.

:uality #ontrol 1e distribute drugs that must be marketed as safe and therapeutically active formulations !hose performance is consistent and predictable. +e! and better medicinal agents are being produced at an accelerated rate. /t the same time more e2acting and sophisticated analytical methods are being developed for their evaluation. 5equirements governing the quality control of pharmaceuticals in accordance !ith the the Philippine 4ureau of food and drugs that they have been cited and discussed.

1e ensure that the drug substance and other ra! materials are suitable for use in your drug product and to ensure that the drug product manufactured meets the highest quality standards. *ur :uality #ontrol group is involved throughout the entire development process( from drug substance and ra! material control( through intermediate drug product testing( to finished drug product release testing and stability studies.