What is it about?

Medicine waste is a major issue in the UK’s National Health Service, affecting both patient care and budgets. This study looks at how leadership and organisational culture influence the adoption of Lean Six Sigma practices in clinical pharmacy settings to reduce medicine waste. We reviewed existing research on Lean Six Sigma in healthcare and then studied an NHS trust in England to see how these practices are applied in real life. The findings show that leadership priorities, staff training, resource allocation, and the underlying clinical culture all shape how pharmacists adopt Lean Six Sigma methods. A strong leadership commitment can motivate staff, embed waste reduction into everyday practice, and make change sustainable.

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Why is it important?

Reducing medicine waste is not just about saving money, it also ensures patients receive timely treatment and helps address ongoing medicine shortages in the NHS. Leadership and culture play a central role in making this possible. Without strong leadership and a supportive culture, even the best waste reduction tools and methods will not deliver their full potential. Our study offers a leadership model that can help the NHS improve efficiency, allocate resources better, and prepare for future challenges. It also shows how cultural transformation, early training, and strategic reform can make Lean Six Sigma a standard part of clinical pharmacy practice.

Perspectives

For me, this research was about bridging the gap between quality improvement theory and the real-world challenges faced in healthcare. Medicine waste is both a sustainability issue and a patient care issue, and I wanted to explore how leadership and culture could unlock practical solutions. Working closely with a case study in the NHS made it clear that technical methods alone are not enough. It takes committed leadership, empowered staff, and a culture of continuous improvement to make waste reduction part of the organisation’s DNA. My hope is that this model will help healthcare leaders not only reduce waste but also build a more resilient and sustainable health service.

Dr Krish Saha
Birmingham City University

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: The role of leadership and cultural barriers in the adoption of lean six sigma in clinical pharmacy practice and medicine waste reduction. The case of NHS-UK, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, June 2024, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/ijqrm-02-2024-0069.
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