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INFOSYS.110 BUSINESS SYSTEMS:

DELIVERABLE 2: BUSINESS SECTION
2014

Name Zaynab Jasim
NetID zjas882
Group Number: 161
Website Link:
http://infosys1102014fcgroup161.blogspot.co.nz/2014/04/functionvar-
xdocument.html
Tutorial Details
Tutor: Day: Time:
Helen Chen Tuesday 2pm
Time Spent on
Assignment:
18 hours Word Count:
1632 (not including
references)

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PRESCRIPTION DRUG DISPENSER - TABSAFE
INTRODUCTION
According to the International Narcotics Control Board (2012) prescription drug abuse is a severe issue that
affects people of all ages all around the world. Studies have shown that in the United States, prescription
medicines are the second most misused class of drugs after cannabis and it has been predicted that the
mistreatment of medicine will soon exceed illicit substance abuse (The International Narcotics Control Board,
2012). This highlights the need for an intervention to prevent and monitor the misuse of prescription
medicine. TabSafe is an electronic tablet dispenser which is monitored by the GP and pharmacist of the given
patient. It automatically dispenses drugs at the specific dosage and time according to the instructions inputted
through a USB port by the health professional. This will mean that prescriptions can be easily monitored and it
will be difficult for the patient to misuse their drugs thus preventing the occurrence of drug overdose.

3. BUSINESS SECTION
3.1 Vision
TabSafe will be a step towards the advancement of collaboration between patients,
pharmacists and medical professionals by bringing an innovative system that allows the
close monitoring the use of medicines thus providing certainty and safety in the
consumption of medicine.
3.2 Industry Analysis: Pharmaceutical Automation Industry
Industry: Pharmacy Automation Industry. The industry of automating the monitoring and
dispensing of pharmaceutical medicine.
Force: High/Low: Justification:
Buyer power: High Although the development of pharmaceutical
automation is a relatively new step in the control
of medicines, there has been a rapid increase in
the providers of such technology. Some

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pharmacies have been forced to shift to
automating their pill dispensing to adapt to the
changing market (Thomsen, 2003). This means
that buyers have many options in terms of
prescription medicine automation services and
therefore their power in the industry is high.
Supplier power: High The software and systems required to produce
efficient automated pharmaceutical technology
must be precise and complex to ensure industry
standards are achieved (Elder, 2008). Therefore,
suppliers have high power in the industry as there
are only a few providers of the technology and
systems that meet the regulations of this
industry.
Threat of new entrants: Low There is a high demand for automated pharmacy
but the regulations and systems that accompany
this market make it difficult for new competitiors
to develop in this industry. There is a lot of
knowledge and funds required to develop an
efficient automated pharmacy system thus the
threat of new entrants is low (Palo Alto Software,
2014).
Threat of substitutes: High Many small pharmacies are still relying on
ordinary prescription monitoring services instead
of the automated pharmacy systems (Elder,
2008). Manual monitoring products such as the
Monday to Sunday plastic pill pockets and

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compliance services are common subsitutes to
automated pharmacy (Palo Alto Software, 2014).
Rivalry among existing
competitors:
High High demand for pharmacy automation has
meant that these companies within this industry
must continue to be innovative and adapt to the
market (Lehnbom, Oliver, Baysari, & Westbrook,
2013).
Overall attractiveness of the industry: Overall, the Pharmacy Automation industry is
generally not a profitable industry to enter. The competitive nature of this industry is high
and without innovative software and technology, a company will struggle to remain
successful. The regulations that govern entry into the industry will make it difficult for new
entrants to gain a position in the market place and as a consequence it is not an attractive
industry.
3.3 Customers and Thei r Needs
The target customers of the TabSafe automated dispenser system is adults over the age of
65 with multiple health problems. Due to the current aging population, there has become
an increased need for monitoring services to maintiain the health of elders with chronic and
multiple health conditions (Lehnbom, Oliver, Baysari, & Westbrook, 2013).
These customers require an easy-to-use, safe and efficient product that will enable them to
correctly dispense their medicine and avoid chances of human error. With multiple health
conditions, controlling all the different sets of prescribed drugs can be difficult and
therefore a system is needed which does the thinking for them. They also need reassurance
that the dosage they are taking is constant and approved by their health professional (Palo
Alto Software, 2014).
3.4 The Product and Service
The TabSafe system allows doctors to synch the prescribed dosage of medicine and time of
dispensing to the TabSafe container using a USB port. This information will also synch with

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either the patients smart phone or a reminder bracelet. By having constant reminders and
set dosage amounts, these patients will not have worry about the complexities involved
with their multiple prescriptions and they will be able to constantly monitor their dosages.
An electronic system will prevent any mistakes that would likely occur if the medicine was
readily available to the patient such as incorrect dosages, incorrect timing of dosage and
mixing of hazardous combinations of pills.

3.5 Suppliers and Partners
A supplier of the TabSafe automatic prescription dispenser is the software company who
develops and implements the software which allows the system to run efficiently. This
software must be able to synch within the TabSafe itself and the patient information that is
stored in the medical centres database. Synchronisation will allow information of the
dosages and medication to be transferred to the TabSafe and thus administered to the
patient.
Another supplier is the manufacturer of the TabSafe dispenser. The parts of this dispenser
must be alligned with its purpose and be of high quality. The company will buy the materials
from the manufacturer and will pay for the assembly of the dispenser.
Prescription medicine companies are partners of TabSafe. Drug companies promote the use
of TabSafe, while TabSafe provides deals to customers who are prescribed a specific
medicine. For example, TabSafe could have a partnership with a blood-pressure lowering
drug and therefore when a patient is prescribed this drug they have the option to recieve
TabSafe at a discounted price. Thus both companies mutually benefit from this relationship
without directly paying any money.
Furthermore, this same principle can be applied with Doctors and pharmacies. TabSafe will
advertise that it is only available for purchase from specific pharamacies or medical centres.
This means that these centres will benefit from sales from the customers who would like to
purchase the TabSafe, while TabSafe also recieves sales from displaying their product at
these locations.
3.6 Strategy: Focused High Cost

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The competitive scope of TabSafe will focus on a niche market of individuals who have
complex health needs with numerous prescriptions. This is because it would be ineffective
to reach out to healthy individuals who do not require constant monitoring of their
medicine.
Because TabSafe focuses on innovation and collaboration, it has a high cost strategy and
aims to bring high quality and safe products to the market.
The overall strategy is therefore Focused High Cost.
3.7 Value Chain Activity: Make the Product or Service
The most important value chain activity for this business is Make the Product or Service.
As previously mentioned in the vision statement, TabSafe aims to be innovative and
provide a safe tool to monitor the medicine of patients. Therefore making the product is
important as it must function smoothly to satisfy the niche market. The high cost strategy
must be evident in the presentation of the dispenser and it must look sleek and represent
the price it is worth. TabSafe must function correctly and be able to efficiently monitor the
patients medicine.
3.8 Business Processes
3.8.1. MEDICAL INFORMATI ON SYNCHING PROCESS - The doctor or pharmacist must first enter the
patient information into the database. This information includes the type of medicine, the dosage amount and
the time of dosage. The USB port is then connected between the computer and TabSafe and the information is
transferred to the dispenser.


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3.8.2. MEDICATION DI SPENSING PROCESS The medicine must be dispensed into the TabSafe
and when the set time occurs, it must correctly dispense the amount of drugs required to

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the patient



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3.9 Functionalities
3.9.1. MEDICAL INFORMATI ON SYNCHING PROCESS
Organising patients medical information
Copying medical information from database to TabSafe
3.9.2. MEDICINE DI SPENSING PROCESSS
Sorting drugs into different categories according to timing
Recognising the timing for dispensing the drugs
3.10 Systems

3.10. 1. INFORMATION SYNCHING SYSTEM- This system supports the tranfer of patient data
from the doctors database to the TabSafe dispenser. The information synching system
ensures that the data is accurate and up to date with patient records. This allows Doctors
to make necessary medical changes where needed and then have them transferred to the
TabSafe through the USB port.
3.10. 2. DISPENSE ALERT SYSTEM - The alert system ensures that when the drugs are ready to
be dispensed, the patient is notified. This means that patients will know exactly when to
take their medicine and safety is not comprimised.
3.10. 3. DRUG CATEGORI SATION SYSTEM This system categories the prescription drugs into
subsets to ensure there is no harmful mixing of the drugs. This is done through an input by
the Doctor which classifies the drugs that must be seperated from the rest. The drug
categorisation system then gathers this information and seperates the medicine
accordingly.

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3.11. Summary Table: Value Chain to Systems

Value Chain
Activity
Processes Functionalities Specific Information
System(s)
Broad Information
System(s)

Bavarian
bergkase
fromage
queso
1. Medical
Information
Synching
Process
1. Organising patients medical information

2. Copying medical information from database
to TabSafe
Information synching system

Collaboration System

2. Medicine
Dispensing
Process
1. Sorting drugs into different categories
according to timing
2. Recognising the timing for dispensing the
drugs
Drug categorisation system

Dispense alert system
Decision Support System

Transaction Support
System

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CONCLUSION
The TabSafe business aims to provide safe, quality and innovative drug monitoring with a
focused high cost market strategy. With an emphasis on making an exceptional product that
meets the standards of the industry, TabSafe focuses on the processes of dispensing and
synchronising the medicine for its customer. These processes are supported by IT systems
such as information synching systems and dispensing alert systems which also support the
key functionalities of the business processes.
REFERENCES

1. Elder, M. (2008, March). Pharmacy Automation: Technologies and Global Markets. Retrieved May 20,
2014, from bcc Research: http://www.bccresearch.com/market-research/instrumentation-and-
sensors/pharmacy-automation-technologies-markets-ias026a.html
2. Lehnbom, E., Oliver, K., Baysari, M., & Westbrook, J. (2013). Evidence Briefingd on Interventions to
Improve Medication Safety: Automated Dispensing Systems. Centre for Health Systems and Safety
Research , 1 (2), 2-4.
3. Palo Alto Software. (2014). Medicine Dispenser Business Plan. Retrieved May 21, 2014, from B Plan:
http://www.bplans.com/medicine_dispenser_business_plan/market_analysis_summary_fc.php
4. The International Narcotics Control Board. (2012). Report of The International Narcotics Control
Board. The International Narcotics Control Board .
5. Thomsen, J. (2003). Market Survey of Pharmacy Technology and Automation in Retail and Outpatient
Pharmacy. Retail Pharmacy Management , 1-22.