The current state of workload for a typical pharmacy

Assume that you are the computer performance analyst for your local pharmacy in March 2020 just as the Covid-19 pandemic is taking hold. You will need to quickly come up with a new reference workload for your pharmacy.

Describe the current state of workload for a typical pharmacy before the pandemic became reality from the perspective of the following questions:

· Is it regularly paced?

· Does it vary seasonally or by time of day?

· Is demand growing over time?

· Is it inherently subject to potentially disruptive bursts of activity?

Describe how you think each of these behaviors will change over the next few months based on the impact of the pandemic.

Explain what impediments may occur within the computing architecture due to the change, and how you would address these changes.

Full Answer Section

How I think each of these behaviors will change over the next few months based on the impact of the pandemic:

  • Regularly paced: The workload in a pharmacy is likely to become less regularly paced due to the pandemic. There may be more customers during certain times of day, such as during the early morning hours when people are picking up prescriptions for COVID-19 testing. There may also be more customers during the weekends, as people have more time to go to the pharmacy.
  • Seasonal variation: The seasonal variation in workload is likely to become more pronounced due to the pandemic. There may be more customers during the winter months, as people are more likely to get sick during this time.
  • Growing demand: The demand for pharmacy services is likely to grow even faster due to the pandemic. This is because more people are likely to need prescription medications to treat COVID-19 and other conditions.
  • Bursts of activity: The workload in a pharmacy is likely to become more volatile due to the pandemic. This is because there may be sudden influxes of customers due to changes in public health guidelines or other events. These bursts of activity can overwhelm the pharmacy's systems and lead to delays in service.

Impediments that may occur within the computing architecture due to the change:

The following impediments may occur within the computing architecture due to the change:

  • Increased load: The increased workload due to the pandemic can overwhelm the pharmacy's systems, leading to delays in service.
  • Performance degradation: The performance of the pharmacy's systems may degrade due to the increased workload. This can lead to errors and other problems.
  • Outages: The pharmacy's systems may experience outages due to the increased workload. This can lead to significant disruptions in service.

How I would address these changes:

To address these changes, I would recommend the following:

  • Upgrade the pharmacy's computing infrastructure: This will allow the pharmacy to handle the increased workload.
  • Implement load balancing: This will help to distribute the workload evenly across the pharmacy's systems.
  • Use cloud computing: This can provide the pharmacy with the scalability and flexibility it needs to handle the increased workload.
  • Implement disaster recovery plans: This will help to ensure that the pharmacy can continue to operate even if there is an outage.

By taking these steps, the pharmacy can ensure that its computing architecture can handle the increased workload due to the pandemic.

Sample Answer

Current state of workload for a typical pharmacy before the pandemic:

  • Regularly paced: The workload in a pharmacy is typically regularly paced, with a steady stream of customers throughout the day. There may be some variation in workload during the day, with more customers during peak hours such as lunchtime and after work. However, the overall workload is relatively consistent.
  • Seasonal variation: There may be some seasonal variation in workload, with more customers during cold and flu season. However, the overall workload is not significantly affected by the seasons.
  • Growing demand: The demand for pharmacy services is growing over time, due to an aging population and an increasing number of chronic diseases. However, the growth in demand is gradual and manageable.
  • Bursts of activity: The workload in a pharmacy is inherently subject to potentially disruptive bursts of activity. For example, there may be a sudden influx of customers if there is a power outage or a natural disaster. These bursts of activity can overwhelm the pharmacy's systems and lead to delays in service.