Choosing to dispense directly offers physicians many options when it comes to medication. Physicians can choose not only the types of medicines, but also the form in which the medicine arrives, and the amount desired.
Physicians can even choose prepackaged medication that alleviates them of the preparation. In fact, ordering prepackaged medicines means physicians simply print the label and attach it. Using this method for in office dispensing makes it easy for the medical staff and for patients.
Then, the physician simply must choose which types of medications to stock and in what form.
Choosing the Right Form of Medicine to Dispense Directly
When choosing medicines, a doctor will need to determine in which form the medicine will be most effective.
Choices may include tablets, gel caps, and soft gels. They may also be ordered in the form of liquid or creams. While some patients have more success with medicines in pill form, others may only be able to drink a liquid version of the medicine.
If this is the case, it may be best to have several forms of each medicine in stock.
Most Common Physical Illnesses
Physicians may wonder which medicines to keep in stock. Choosing products to supply patients can be simplified by examining reports from places such as the Center for Disease Control.
Based on your specialty, medicinal needs can vary. But in customary practices, these will correlate with the most common illnesses in society.
According to reports, the most common ailments treated among physicians today include hypothyroidism, gastrointestinal disorders, hypertension, cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.
Most Common Mental Illnesses
Depression is the leading mental illness in America, ranging from mild depressive symptoms to major depressive disorder. Anxiety, bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder are also common mental health disorders.
Mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression, are very layered and with each diagnosis there are multiple sub-diagnoses that are attributed to mental health, or lack of health.
Medications used to treat the symptoms of mental illness are some of the most prescribed medicines in America today.
Most Common Solid Form Dosage Medication
Solid, compressed, time-release and coated are the most common types of solid form dosages today. Tablets appear to be the easiest form for most patients.
Solid form dosage medicines commonly used to treat the most common illnesses are in tablet form. These are used to treat patients with heart disease, as well as many other illnesses.
Issues with thyroid, hypertension, and cholesterol are all common today and there are commonly prescribed medications for these issues that can be keep on hand to dispense directly to patients that need them.
Generic brands are available for the medicines to reduce blood pressure.
All these medicines are available in prepackaged form.
Some patients may be lacking in natural vitamins and minerals. Stocking items such as prepackaged vitamin D or potassium in solid form may benefit some practices.
Doctors can even order prepackaged pain medicines such as hydrocodone in solid form to have available for those patients needing immediate relief. Prepackaged solid form medicines are handled and stored according to regulations for every State.
Some of the more common medicines used to treat mental illness are easy to dispense directly, just like those for physical illnesses. Most mental health medicines come in tablet or gel cap forms. They are ingested in pill form. Some are time released while others are more quickly absorbed.
In-office dispensing would greatly aid in treating patients experiencing depression, anxiety or other mental illnesses as well.
Most Common Cream, Liquid and Injections
Pain relief may also come in the form of analgesics or creams, both of which are available in prepackaged form to dispense directly.
Type 2 Diabetes is one of the most common ailments treated by doctors today. This disease can be treated with more variety.
Some may need insulin or other diabetes related medications. When prescribing for diabetes related issues, it is good to stock a rage of solid form and injection style medicines, along with durable medical equipment like syringes, testing strips and monitors.
Injection kits are readily available, complete with gauze, prep pads and bandages. The kits are created for anti-inflammatory and anesthetic uses, for example. Similarly, cream kits can be stocked for patients who are not able to tolerate pill forms.
Many cream kits are used to treat muscle spasms and are made of mild pain relieving ingredients like ibuprofen.
Most Common Durable Medical Equipment
Durable medical equipment, when you dispense directly, is a huge benefit for patients. Patients who need durable medical equipment often are handicapped or disabled in some way.
When a cane, walker or wheelchair is prescribed for a patient, the last thing they want to do is travel to a pharmacy to pick up the item.
They are in pain and are looking for relief. Supplying durable medical equipment as part of an in-office dispensing program will be appreciated by your patients.
Prepackaged Advantage
Keep in mind that every office has different needs and different medications they want to dispense directly. Thousands of medicines are available for prepackaging. From decongestants to contraceptives to medicines associated with mental illness can be prepackaged and shipped to any clinic, no matter what level of medical degree or specialties exist within a practice.
Physicians find a great deal of comfort knowing each medicine ordered for inventory goes through an intense inspection process that meets FDA approval. Extraordinary steps are taken to ensure medicines are prepackaged correctly and are shipped in a timely manner. It is a top goal to make all custom orders a priority.
When most of your patients are taking at least one prescription, it is likely there are commonalities among the prescriptions you write. Some of your patients are likely on four or five prescriptions for similar problems.
Finding these common prescriptions is a great start to creating your list of medicines to dispense directly.
In office dispensing software can create this list for you. It can also create a re-order for your practice and ship those to you expediently.
Because prepackaged storage boxes can hold thousands of medicines, you will be able to serve much of your case load. This prevents you from having to choose one patient’s illnesses over another when it comes to dispensing. You can store just the right amount for each and dispense directly as needed.
Having your most common medicines available to dispense directly shows your patients you care and want them to start healing immediately.