Integration of Multicriteria Matrix and Drug Need Forecasting in Support of Budget Policy: Literature Review

Abstract

Drug expenditure represents a significant proportion of healthcare facility costs, and budget constraints directly affect pharmaceutical spending. Therefore, appropriate policies are needed to balance economic considerations, clinical priorities, and future medication requirements. This study aims to examine the implications of budgetary policies for pharmaceutical inventory management through ABC-VEN classification and drug demand forecasting. A literature review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. Seven articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The findings indicate that ABC-VEN classification identifies drug categories accounting for 70%–93.41% of the total pharmaceutical budget, representing 10%–70% of all drug items. These classification results provide a basis for prioritizing inventory monitoring and identifying drug categories requiring targeted demand forecasting. Forecasting results subsequently inform budget-based inventory management policies, contributing to improvements in operational efficiency, including a 17.63%–30% reduction in total annual inventory costs, an 88.5% monthly reduction in stockout occurrences, and a decrease in pharmaceutical waste from 0.91% to 0.21%. These findings highlight the importance of integrating ABC-VEN multicriteria classification with drug demand forecasting to optimize pharmaceutical budget allocation, enhance inventory control, and support evidence-based budgetary decision-making in healthcare facilities.