Behind IPPF’s Improved Contraceptive Management: OpenEMR’s Inventory and Supply Tracking Tools

As we all know, OpenEMR is an open source Electronic Medical Records system that helps healthcare practices manage patient records. Specialized features within OpenEMR’s inventory and supply tracking tools help to better manage and track inventory stocks, helping to determine where stocks are located when they expire, and when they need to be restocked. 

Comes to the IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation), a global organization that works on reproductive health and family planning issues.

This global federation organization has utilized the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system for managing contraceptives, which then benefits in so many ways. This blog post will walk you through How the International Planned Parenthood Federation utilized OpenEMR in contraceptive management.

IPPF’s Family Planning Service

IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation) is a global federation that works on reproductive health and family planning issues. The federation has significantly conducted camps and distributed contraceptives to rural communities free of charge. 

For instance, IPPF and PPAZ have initiated and offered self-managed contraceptive care to young people of Zambia, especially young girls across the four rural districts of Choma, Kitwe, Livingstone, and Lusaka.

The PPAZ (Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia) has identified and encouraged eligible young women in counseling sessions on contraceptive care.

By reaching these rural communities, they can provide education and understandable information on different types of contraceptive methods (both hormonal and non-hormonal) to help them make decisions about what method the people prefer and suit their lifestyle.

Most young women prefer oral contraceptive pills, and the PPAZ healthcare team provides the contraceptive pills with six months of supply, free of charge. 

Healthcare teams educated 1535 young women on the Sayana press method (contraceptive injection) and 3070 doses of contraceptives.

Related: The Ultimate Mission of IPPF and the Role of OpenEMR

Challenges faced during the operation

While distributing contraceptives, the PPAZ and IPPF healthcare team must have a complete overview of stockouts, how many contraceptives were provided, where it is needed, and more for efficient inventory management. Without efficient contraceptive inventory management, the IPPF and PPAZ may face problems:

• Overstocking contraceptives
• Challenges in determining the right levels of inventory
• Understocking may occur during outreach
• Lack of real-time inventory overview

and other challenges that may occur during family planning services. 

However by using OpenEMR, IPPF and PPAZ healthcare teams efficiently manage the contraceptive inventory like where it’s needed, how many contraceptives were needed in the particular rural community, and how many contraceptives were provided.

How OpenEMR Improves Contraceptive Management for IPPF

Here is how OpenEMR’s inventory and supply tracking tools help in improving contraceptive management for IPPF:

1. Efficient Inventory Management

By using the inventory and supply tracking tools in OpenEMR, the IPPF can keep track of its contraceptive stocks efficiently. IPPF now has a clear overview of:

• How many contraceptives do they have
• Where they are located
• If they need to be restocked
• Where contraceptive demands

2. Prevent Stockouts

IPPF can expect to see when contraceptive supplies are getting lower and take the right action to prevent stockouts with better tracking of inventory. In this way, contraceptives are always available for people who are in need, reducing the disruption during the access to family planning services.

3. Data-Driven Decision Making

IPPF can make more informed decisions about the distribution and allocation of contraceptives by collecting valuable data from OpenEMR tools. They help to identify trends in which rural areas demand more contraceptives and adjust their inventory accordingly to meet people in need.

Related: How IPPF Leveraged OpenEMR Reporting for Unparalleled Insights Across Programs in Zimbabwe

4. Reduce Wastage

The inventory and supply tracking tools in OpenEMR help the IPPF and PPAZ healthcare teams monitor contraceptive expiration dates and usage rates. This allows IPPF to use its resources more efficiently, minimizing waste by rotating stock and removing expired products from circulation.

5. Improved People Care

IPPF ensures a steady supply of contraceptives during family planning outreach to rural communities using OpenEMR’s Inventory and Supply tracking tools. They can support people in making more informed choices about their reproductive health and family planning.

In conclusion, Utilizing the OpenEMR, IPPF and PPAZ healthcare teams significantly manages contraceptive inventory without overstocking or understocking. Ensuring seamless distribution throughout the family planning service.

Whether it’s a large-scale healthcare practice or a small-scale clinic, leveraging OpenEMR technology has become vital to automate administrative tasks and focus on patient care.

Embrace CapMind’s OpenEMR solution for seamless adoption and implementation of the full potential of OpenEMR for your healthcare practice. 

Contact us to help you streamline your administration and improve patient outcomes.