This article describes how one pharmacy can order for multiple pharmacies using Centralised Ordering (CO) and utilise the stock transfer process to distribute the stock to the other pharmacies.
Note: This process can only be used for orders with the same supplier.
In this example:
- Pharmacy 1: the purchasing pharmacy, whose supplier account will be used for the combined master order
- Pharmacy 2 and Pharmacy 3: the other pharmacies participating in the order
- Supplier: Symbion
Create Orders for Stores
1. Create Symbion orders for Pharmacies 1, 2 and 3 individually. This can be done through order generation, manual order or order import.
Review Orders
2. Each pharmacy then needs to review their order and request stock from other the pharmacy(s) where appropriate.
- If stock transfers are requested at this point, they will appear in the CO Stock Transfers window. These transfer(s) can be issued to the pharmacy(s) now, because they have the stock available.
Note: The quantity on the order is then reduced by the quantity requested in the Transfer e.g. if the ordered qty is 12, and 6 are requested via transfer the order quantity is reduced by 6.
- The corresponding pharmacy (the pharmacy sending the stock) should action their transfer as soon as possible. Refer to Stock Transfer Process for detailed instructions.
Merge Orders
3. Highlight all three Symbion orders for pharmacies 1, 2 and 3 and click Merge to combine the orders.
The Merge Orders window is displayed.
From the Merge Orders window:
a. Select store: Click the drop down and select Pharmacy 1 as the pharmacy for the master (Symbion) order (the purchasing pharmacy, whose supplier account will be used for the combined master order).
b. Description: Update the Description, if required. This description is displayed in Pharmacy 1's Order Maintenance once the order is sent to Symbion.
c. Delete original orders: We recommend you do NOT delete the original orders at this stage, due the cost price of the transfer being set at this point. We need to retain these original orders until Step 7.
d. Automatically create transfers for original orders: We recommend you do NOT check this option as this stage.
4. Review the master order for Pharmacy 1, making sure the order quantity is set to optimise the buying price.
5. Send the master order via PharmX to Symbion from CO. This will mark the order as Issued in CO and the order will be displayed in Pharmacy 1’s Order Maintenance.
Transfer Stock
6. Once Pharmacy 1 receives and completes the master orders invoice from Symbion, the stock can be packed for Pharmacies 2 and 3, then go to CO and merge the original orders again.
7. Highlight all three Symbion orders for pharmacies 1, 2 and 3 and click Merge to combine the orders.
The Merge Orders window is displayed.
From the Merge Orders window:
a. Select store: Click the drop down and select Pharmacy 1 as the pharmacy for the master order (the purchasing pharmacy, whose supplier account was used for the combined master order sent to Symbion in Step 7a).
b. Description: Update the description to delete this order > as we will not be using this order again.
c. Delete original orders: We recommend you delete the original orders at this stage, unless you want or need to retain them for record keeping purposes.
d. Automatically create transfers for original orders: Check this option, new transfers are created for Pharmacy 1 to send the required stock to pharmacies 2 and 3.
8. Delete the newly created merged order, as this is not needed.
9. From the CO Stock Transfers window, issue the newly created transfers. This will send the transfers to Pharmacy 1.
10 . Pharmacy 1 completes the transfers in Stock Manager. This will update the SOH for Pharmacy 1 in Minfos and in CO.
11. Pharmacies 2 and 3 collect the transfer from Transfers Maintenance and completes them in Order Maintenance. This will update the SOH for Pharmacies 2 and 3 in Minfos and in CO.
Review remaining orders/transfer
12. Depending on the merging processes you followed above you may have unnecessary orders and transfers in CO, delete these if they are no longer needed for record keeping purposes.