As healthcare systems continue to evolve, the importance of an efficient and effective medication dispensing system becomes increasingly critical. One such system that has gained popularity in recent years is point-of-care medication dispensing. Point-of-care dispensing gives physicians the opportunity to provide their patients with medication from the convenience of their office during the patient’s doctor’s visit.
Up to 30% of all prescriptions sent to the pharmacy are never filled. The best way for physicians to make sure their patients fill their prescription is by filling it for them before they even leave the office.
In this blog post, we’ll share five tips for a successful point-of-care medication dispensing system.
1. Choose An Experienced Pharmaceutical Services Company
The most important part of implementing a point-of-care medication dispensing system is choosing the right company to work with. Choose a company that has experience, great customer service, up-to-date technology, and one with which you can have a healthy long-term business relationship.
Your partner company can source and repackage pharmaceuticals at a wholesale price so that you can sell these medications to your patients for a fair price and still make a profit. They will also help you make sure you have the right drugs in stock at all times.
2. Take Advantage of Technology
Your chosen health services company can help you set up and install all the technology you need for an efficient medication dispensing program. Look for a company that offers technology with a user-friendly interface, automated dispensing processes, and real-time data tracking.
Proper technology will help minimize errors and maximize the amount of time you can spend advising patients, running diagnostic tests, and applying treatments. By keeping office technology up-to-date, you can make sure you’re using the newest, most efficient means to care for your patients.
3. Train Your Staff
Once you’ve set up your technology, it’s important to train your staff on how to effectively use it. This includes not only nurses and other healthcare providers who will be using the system on a daily basis, but also other support staff who may be involved in the medication dispensing process. Proper training will help ensure that everyone is using the system correctly and that patients receive the right medications at the right time.
Your office will save time by implementing an efficient dispensing program and avoiding unnecessary calls back and forth to pharmacies. The staff can use this extra time to assist patients by answering questions about drug and treatment costs, side effects, and insurance coverage.
4. Talk to Patients about Their Prescriptions
Give yourself the opportunity to answer any questions that your patients might have. In-office dispensing gives physicians the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with their patients to explain when, how, and (most importantly) why they need to take their medication. With the medications on hand in the office, you can even demonstrate medication self-administration and self-injection medications. Dispensing from your office also makes it easier to double-check patients’ medical history and current medications to avoid complications.
Patients will also be able to get their refills from your office. Use this opportunity to monitor which patients are coming in on time for their refills and keep tabs on their treatment adherence. With the right automation technology, you can even send out automatic reminders to patients to refill their prescriptions.
5. Seek Feedback from Staff and Patients
Finally, it’s important to seek feedback from both staff and patients on the effectiveness of your point-of-care medication dispensing system. This can help identify areas where the system is working well and where there may be opportunities for improvement. It’s also a good way to engage staff and patients in the process and demonstrate your commitment to delivering safe, high-quality care.
In-office medication dispensing is more convenient for patients and therefore increases their satisfaction with their doctor’s care. Physician dispensing saves patients a trip to the pharmacy, helps build trust between patients and their doctors, and increases the likelihood that they will take their medications correctly and heal properly. Checking in with them to see if your dispensing program is working efficiently will help you enhance the quality of care even more.
The best way to get started in dispensing medications is to contact an experienced health solutions company. Once the dispensing program is set up and the staff has been trained, dispensing medication in-person to patients will immensely benefit any medical practice.
Most states allow physicians to dispense medication directly from their offices. Some of those states require physicians to get a specific dispensing license. Only Montana, New York, Texas, and Utah have strict regulations about in-office medication dispensing.
Implementing a point-of-care medication dispensing system can help improve patient safety, increase efficiency, and reduce medication errors. It can even create an extra source of income for your clinic to use to keep improving. By following these five tips, you can ensure successful implementation and the ongoing success of your system.