Drug Categories Module

Overview

The Drug Categories module is like creating folders for your medications. It helps you organize drugs into logical groups, making it easier to find, manage, and report on different types of medications in your pharmacy. Think of it as creating a "filing system" for your drug inventory.

Navigating to Drug Categories

1. Look for the Inventory Management section in your left sidebar menu
2. Click on Drug Categories (usually near the top)
3. You'll see a list of all your existing categories

Why Use Categories?

Benefits of Organizing Drugs:

• Find drugs faster: Group similar drugs together
• Better inventory management: See how many drugs you have in each category
• Smart filtering: When adding drugs, you can easily select their category
• Professional reporting: Generate reports by category (e.g., "All Antibiotics")

Creating a New Category

Basic Information Section:

• Category Name: What you want to call this group (e.g., "Antibiotics", "Pain Relievers", "Vitamins")
• Category Code: Optional short code (e.g., "ANTIB" for Antibiotics) - useful for quick reference

Hierarchy & Ordering Section:

Parent Category:

• No Selection: Creates a main/top-level category (e.g., "Antibiotics")
• With Selection: Creates a sub-category under another category
  • Example: Parent "Antibiotics" → Child "Penicillins"
  • Example: Parent "Pain Relievers" → Child "NSAIDs"

Sort Order:

• Lower numbers appear first in lists
• Example:
  • Antibiotics: Sort Order 10
  • Pain Relievers: Sort Order 20
  • Vitamins: Sort Order 30
  • Antibiotics will appear first in dropdown lists

Description Section:

• Rich text editor: Add formatted descriptions
• Available formatting: Bold, Italic, Underline, Headings, Bullet Lists, Numbered Lists
• Purpose: Internal notes about when to use this category

Status Section:

• Active Toggle: ON = Available for use, OFF = Hidden from dropdowns
• Tip: Turn OFF categories you no longer use instead of deleting them

Understanding Category Structure

Flat Structure (Simple):

• All categories are main/top-level
• Example: Antibiotics, Pain Relievers, Vitamins (all independent)

Hierarchical Structure (Organized):

• Main categories with sub-categories
• Example:

Best Practice Tips:

1. Start simple with main categories only
2. Add sub-categories when your inventory grows
3. Use consistent naming (e.g., always plural: "Antibiotics" not "Antibiotic")
4. Plan your hierarchy before creating many categories

Viewing Your Categories

Main Columns Displayed:

• Category Name: Name of the category
• Code: Short code (if entered)
• Parent: Shows parent category name or "— top level —"
• Sort Order: Display order number
• Active Status: Green check if active, red X if inactive

Sorting and Searching:

• Click column headers to sort alphabetically or numerically
• Use search box to find categories by name or code
• Default sorting: By sort order, then alphabetically

How Categories Work with Drugs

When Adding Drugs:

1. In the Drugs Inventory, go to "Step 2: Classification"
2. Select your main category from dropdown
3. Select sub-category (if applicable)
4. Drug is now organized in your system

Benefits in Practice:

• Filter drugs by category in drug listings
• Quick reports: "Show me all Antibiotics stock levels"
• Better organization: Vitamins don't mix with Antibiotics
• Smarter searching: Search within a category only

Actions You Can Take

For Each Category:

👁️ View: See complete category details ✏️ Edit: Update category information 🗑️ Delete: Remove category (can be restored)

Bulk Actions:

Select multiple categories using checkboxes to: 🗑️ Delete Multiple: Remove several categories at once 🔄 Restore Deleted: Bring back removed categories 🗑️ Permanent Delete: Cannot be restored

Important Considerations

Deleting vs. Deactivating:

• Deactivate (toggle OFF): Category stays in system but hidden
• Delete: Removes category from system
• Recommendation: Always deactivate first, delete only if certain

Categories with Assigned Drugs:

• If drugs are assigned to a category, think carefully before deleting
• Consider: Where will those drugs go?
• Better to deactivate or reassign drugs first

Sort Order Strategy:

• Common categories first: Antibiotics, Pain Relievers (Sort 10, 20)
• Less common last: Specialized medications (Sort 90, 100)
• Leave gaps: Use 10, 20, 30... not 1, 2, 3 (allows inserting later)

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Setting Up Basic Categories for New Pharmacy

1. Create main categories:

• Antibiotics (Sort 10)
• Pain Relievers (Sort 20)
• Vitamins & Supplements (Sort 30)
• First Aid (Sort 40)
• Chronic Disease (Sort 50)

2. Keep all as top-level (no parents)
3. Mark all as Active
4. Add simple descriptions

Scenario 2: Expanding to Sub-Categories

1. Existing: "Antibiotics" category
2. Create new sub-categories:

• Name: "Penicillins", Parent: "Antibiotics"
• Name: "Cephalosporins", Parent: "Antibiotics"
• Name: "Macrolides", Parent: "Antibiotics"

3. Update existing antibiotics to correct sub-category

Scenario 3: Discontinuing a Category

1. Toggle "Active" to OFF
2. Add note in description: "Discontinued as of [Date]"
3. Existing drugs in this category remain assigned
4. Category won't appear in new drug dropdowns

Scenario 4: Reorganizing Categories

1. Edit sort orders to change display sequence
2. Change parent relationships to move categories
3. Update descriptions as needed
4. Review all drugs in affected categories

Best Practices

Naming Conventions:

• Use clear, descriptive names: "Antibiotics" not "Med1"
• Be consistent with plurals: "Pain Relievers" not "Pain Reliever"
• Consider alphabetical order for easier scanning
• Use codes sparingly: Only if needed for reporting

Hierarchy Planning:

• Limit depth: 2 levels maximum (Parent → Child)
• Keep it simple: Too many levels becomes confusing
• Balance: Not too broad, not too specific
• Test: Create a few drugs to ensure categories work well

Maintenance Routine:

• Monthly review: Check for unused categories
• Seasonal updates: Add categories for seasonal medications
• Annual cleanup: Deactivate old, unused categories
• Before deleting: Ensure no drugs are assigned

Need Help?

Common Questions:

Q: What happens if I delete a category with drugs? A: The drugs remain in system but show "— top level —" in category field

Q: Can I change a main category to a sub-category? A: Yes! Edit the category and select a parent

Q: Why can't I see my category when adding drugs? A: Check if category is marked as Active

Q: How many categories should I create? A: Start with 5-10 main categories, add as needed

Quick Tips:

• Use search to find categories quickly
• Preview hierarchy in the table view
• Test categories with a few drugs first
• Export your list before major reorganizations
• Document changes in category descriptions

Getting Support:

• System saves automatically as you work
• No limit on number of categories
• All changes are logged for tracking
• Can restore accidentally deleted categories